Life, or Something Like It
by QwicklyAlong
Summary: HIATUS [Leon&Yuffie] AU 17 year old Yuffie takes to the streets after living in an orphanage for ten years. She finds home with a psychiatrist, Squall Leonhart, who soon discovers that Yuffie isn't quite the average patient.
1. Life on The Eastside

**Life, or Something Like it…**

**Chapter 1: Life on the Eastside**

She was the last one to fall asleep that night. Lately, she'd been almost afraid to close her eyes, for fear that she'd have "the dream" again. With each night the dream became clearer and more horrifying than ever. The yellow eyes sometimes even seemed to follow her during the day. So here she was, at two-thirty in the morning, trying to escape the sleep that was rapidly gaining on her. Unsuccessfully, she mentally added.

Her train of thought came to a halt as she heard footsteps. Yuffie slipped off her shoes and fell back onto her mattress, pretending to be asleep. The door flew open and a fourteen year-old girl stumbled in, strangled sobs racking her small, beaten frame--Ansem's latest punching bag. Yuffie watched Tidus comfort the crying Selphie and lead her over to his bed. He took her in his arms, minding the bruises and cuts, rocking her gently to and fro. Yuffie supposed she was lucky, in a bizarre way, that she escaped Ansem's wrath tonight.

But maybe she wasn't so lucky. She was nothing more than a orphaned pickpocket who worked for a deranged orphanage owner. Her home had been overthrown by a horde of horrible creatures, and that was all she could really remember. After the attack, she awoke days later to find herself in this orphanage in a place called New York.

Yuffie could make out Riku's glinting silver hair in the dark, and hear Sora's snoring. Tomorrow was her seventeenth birthday. Ten long years of her life had passed by in the blink of an eye. Ten years since her world was turned upside down. Ten years…

She sighed inaudibly and unnecessarily fluffed her pillows, snuggling deeper into the sheets. It grew awfully cold during the fall. She supposed that her home was a part of her past now, and New York was her present and, most likely, her future. Her eyes grew heavier with each blink, and eventually Yuffie drifted off into a gentle slumber, her thoughts melting away with the darkness.

_A little girl of about seven years of age sprinted through the deathly still halls. If she didn't get home before dinner, her parents would kill her. So what, she'd snuck off into the castle when her parents clearly told her to stay in the yard. How could she stay in the boring old yard when there was a majestic castle that needed exploring? _

_The little girl frowned as an unknown apprehension settled itself in her stomach. Something felt wrong. The halls were never this quiet. _Where is everybody? _she wondered, running down a flight of stairs._

_Minutes later she burst through the back door of her house. "Mommy, I'm home!" she called, walking into the kitchen. It was nearly dinner and she was starving. "Mommy?" the girl asked again when she didn't receive an answer. She skipped into the living room, expecting to see her mother. _

_Her breath hitched in her throat. The unmoving body of her mother was slumped in an armchair, her eyes open and staring blankly. A creature about two feet tall with antennas and a pair of haunting yellow eyes stood in front of the chair, pulling something out of her mother's chest. The creature slowly turned and fixed its gaze on her._

_Not wasting a second, the little girl bolted for the dojo, where her father normally trained. "Daddy!" she cried, stumbling into the room. With horrified eyes, she watched her father fall onto his back to lay spread eagled. A creature like the one in the living room stood beside her fallen father. _

_They'd gotten her father too! Too terrified to let loose a long, loud shriek, she took off and found herself running back up to the castle. She was almost lost in the horde of confusion, people screaming, some crying, most of them running. The girl didn't know where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away. _What was going on? Why were people screaming?_ The little girl decided she didn't want to know the answers to those questions._

_She came to a stop in the empty Chapel, breathing hard. She hunched forward and put her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She squeaked as she heard someone's footsteps coming down the hall. It was a boy, at least sixteen, with brown, shoulder-length hair, steely blue eyes, and a large sword that looked like a gun. His heavy boots thudded as he ran into the room, his chains and belts clinking. She caught his gaze. "Please, help me," she moaned tearfully._

_The boy rushed forward to help the child, but a scream from behind him caused him to whip his head around. A female his age was cowering in a corner._

_His gaze juggled back and forth between the younger girl and the older one. Making up his mind quickly, he instructed, "Run! I'll take care of the monster."_

_The little girl looked up at him through her tearful eyes. "I don't want to be alone again," she whispered._

"_Go!" he insisted. "If you don't, they'll get you too. Head down to the Waterway. There are some Gummi ships waiting to take off. Hurry or they'll leave without you."_

_Gummi ships? The girl wondered. She opened her mouth to say something when the boy started over to fight off the monster. The little girl spared the brave boy one last look before taking his advice and setting off. _

Out of nowhere, a large monster (that would've looked like a funny balloon if it wasn't for its eerie glowing eyes) materialized before her. She couldn't scream, couldn't breathe, as the Heartless slowly advanced on her.

_The little girl backed away cautiously, looking for anywhere to hide. This monster was scarier than the one in her living room. It stepped closer and closer, and the girl scrambled away as fast as she could. She slipped on a small stone and tumbled down the set of stairs. Little stars exploded before her eyes, and she lay in a motionless heap at the bottom of the stairs as the darkness claimed her…

* * *

_

Yuffie shot straight up in bed, breathing heavily. The room was lit with rays of sun. She groaned in frustration and buried her face in her hands. _This_ was why she avoided sleeping. Frankly, Yuffie was getting tired of waking up in a sweat. She was tired of Riku and Sora coming over and asking--

"Yuffie, are you okay?"

_Right on cue, as always_, she thought wryly. Sora asked, his ocean blue eyes full of concern. Clad in his usual attire of a pair of camouflage cargo shorts, gray t-shirt and a pair of beat up Vans, Sora awaited Yuffie's answer. He toyed with the golden key that he wore around his neck on a string. He was rarely seen without it. "Yeah," Yuffie replied, rubbing her eyes. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Riku stood not far away, watching with his ever observant aquamarine eyes. He was a mysterious one, Yuffie had to admit. From his fine, silvery hair to his hypnotic gaze, Riku was hard to figure out. He wore a black shirt with the sleeves ripped off, a deep, jade sleeveless vest, dark, baggy trousers and a pair of scuffed boots. He always wore an ebony key that hung on a silver chain around his neck. Yuffie always wondered why both he and Sora would never take off their necklaces. The most she got out of them was that it reminded them of home.

"I'm fine," she insisted before Riku could ask again.

"The dream again?" Riku stated rather than asked.

Yuffie stiffened. "How do you-"

"You're not the only one who stays up late," Riku answered simply.

"This time, it was so real, though," Yuffie said vaguely. "It was like I could feel the panic taking over."

Sora and Riku exchanged glances.

"But it's just a dream," Yuffie continued, mostly to reassure herself.

"Right!" Sora agreed. Riku didn't reply.

"What do you want to do today?" Sora sat on Yuffie's bed and rested his elbows on his knees and face in his hands.

"Get as far from this place as possible," was Yuffie's answer.

"It's not _that_ bad of a place you know," Sora said. "I mean, we could be out on the streets."

"Yeah…that would be the life, wouldn't it?" Riku sighed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Better than being here. Creaky old beds, expired food, ice cold showers, tons of screaming little infants and kids, busted TV, a psychotic nun who piles us with two hundred pounds of homework everyday…I'm glad today's Saturday. No pick pocketing, no school work. Just one more year till I get to leave all of this behind," Yuffie said firmly, swinging her legs out of bed.

"So you're glad to leave me and Riku behind?" Sora asked solemnly.

"No! Quit twisting my words around, would you? I said I'm glad I'm leaving this hell in another year."

"So what about us?"

Yuffie shrugged. "What about you guys?

"Aren't you going to miss us?"

Yuffie sighed. Sora could be such a baby sometimes when it came to goodbyes. Though she couldn't blame him. His parents had promised to come back for him before he lost his home like she had. They never even made it to where they were going. "Of course. I've known you both for eleven years. How can I not miss you?"

"Well, it all starts with his bad table manners, loud snoring…" Riku commented, counting off each on his fingers. "His clumsiness, his messy hair-"

"Okay, we get the point," Sora interrupted.

Yuffie laughed. She enjoyed Riku and Sora's early morning banter. "Come on. Let's hit the park or something."

"Let's go downtown," Riku suggested. "The park's getting kinda old."

* * *

"Late again!" a man with longish brown hair and captivating sapphire eyes cursed as he rushed about his apartment, getting ready for work. He pulled on an undershirt while hurriedly brushing his teeth. He spat in the sink and swished some water in his mouth.

Squall ran to his closet like a madman and grabbed the first thing his fingers brushed: a powder blue button down shirt and khaki pants. He quickly combed out the knots from his hair and looked at his reflection once more in the mirror. He looked decent enough. Not rushed, but cool, calm, collected. Just as he was supposed to look, being a doctor in the psychiatric ward down at the hospital in Manhattan.

People were often wary of him, thinking that he would deem them mentally unstable and stick them in a room of padded walls. It definitely made dating difficult. Although the way some people acted, they had a good reason to think that. Squall grabbed his cell phone, pager, beeper, and walkie-talkie and picked up his briefcase and duffel bag. He was supposed to meet up with Cloud and Aerith after work. Though it made him sick to his stomach watching a grown man make baby noises at his girlfriend, Squall decided it beat coming home to an apartment full of paperwork.

Squall slid into the driver's seat of his black Mercedes and turned on the ignition. He reversed so quickly his tires squealed and left skid marks. Some people looked out of their apartment windows to see what all the noise was. When they saw Squall's car pull out, they shook their heads and thought, "It's just Squall."

* * *

Sora pushed himself faster and faster. He cast a glance behind him. Yuffie and Riku could hardly keep up. He grinned and gained more speed. "Come on, slow pokes!" he taunted. "What, you can't keep up with me?"

Yuffie chuckled inwardly. She knew this was torture for Riku's ego. Being older than Sora, according to Riku, meant being faster, smarter, cooler, and better than Sora in everything.

Skateboarding included.

Though Yuffie had to admit, out of the three, Sora was the best on a board. Though it was one of the few things he could do better than Riku, it was his "thing". Yuffie didn't have the heart to take that away from him. But Riku…

…well, Riku was a different story.

"Can't catch me!" Sora's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Yuffie gathered as much speed as she could; the people walking along the sidewalks appeared to be a blur. Now this was the life. There's nothing like hanging with your two best buds, and not having to worry if you had a place to sleep at night. After a few seconds, she gained on Sora, and eventually passed him. She turned around and stuck out her tongue. "Nyah!"

Riku struggled to catch up the other two. He absolutely hated being last. His eyes widened as he heard screeching tires. In his peripheral vision, he saw a car careening towards Yuffie. "Yuffie, look out!"

* * *

Squall took one hand off the steering wheel and looked for a paper in his briefcase. "Come on, come on, where is it?" He shuffled through dozens of papers and folders. That report had to be around here somewhere. His career depended on it. "Aha!" Squall removed the folder from the briefcase and focused back on the road. He gasped, spun the wheel, and slammed his foot on the brakes…

"Yuffie, look out!" Riku yelled. She wouldn't be able to stop in time, he realized. Picking up any burst of speed she could find, Yuffie hurled herself towards the sidewalk, trying to get out of the way of the car. She landed hard and tried to roll away, but the screeching of the tires and Riku's screams pushed away any thought of escape…

TBC

* * *

_A/N: Revised 4/11/05_


	2. November Rain

**Life, or Something Like It  
**_Chapter Two: November Rain_

* * *

Yuffie awaited the blissful black of unconsciousness, but it never came. Instead, tiny lights exploded before her eyes and a searing pain shot up her spine. _I didn't know being dead would be so...painful_, she thought to herself as she struggled to open her eyes. Riku and Sora were running over to her, people were crowding around the accident scene, and one pissed off man was cursing obscenely. She looked down at her body. To her relief, she wasn't a Yuffie!pancake after all. The Mercedes wasn't so lucky, however; it was wrapped around a streetlight, and the wind shield was cracked.

Riku froze for a second, overwhelmed with relief that Yuffie hadn't been crushed by the car. "Are you ok?" he asked immediately as he skated up to her, Sora on his heels.

"Oww…my head…" Yuffie moaned, shutting her eyes to stop the spinning.

"Is anything broken?" Sora asked eagerly. "Maybe we could sue that guy! He has a Mercedes, so he has to be rich."

If she had the strength, Yuffie would've rolled her eyes and smacked him upside the head. Typical Sora. Always looking at the bigger picture. "I don't think so. I think I'm okay."

Riku and Sora helped Yuffie to her feet. Immediately she swayed, and Riku caught her before she could hit the pavement. "We need to get out of here. Let's get back to the orphanage."

"I don't wanna go back," Yuffie whined. "I'm never going back. Ansem's a sadistic bastard, and you know it."

"Yuffie, you're barely conscious. You're not making sense."

"So?"

Riku groaned and handed his skateboard to Sora. "You carry the boards, I'll carry Yuffie."

They began to walk away when a man called out to them. "Hey, where are you going?" the man asked them. "Is she okay?"

Riku and Sora exchanged a look. "Come on!" Riku said urgently to his friend. He hoisted Yuffie onto his back, piggyback style, and the two took off, ducking into a dark alley.

Squall sprinted after them and stopped at the entrance of the alley. He sighed exasperatedly, running his fingers through his hair. After a moment, he decided to head back to his car. He _really_ didn't have time for chasing a bunch of kids around.

_Well, at least she wasn't seriously injured from what I could see,_ Squall thought as he climbed into his dented Mercedes, pausing for a moment to gather his wits. He couldn't get the image of the terror etched on the girl's face as he nearly ran her over…

He shook his head firmly. There were no skateboarding laws around this part of town anyway. So it was just as much her fault as it was his. Squall started up the engine and backed out onto the road. He would have to see Cid about the damage...the girl did look a little pale...

Squall sighed and dragged a hand across his face. Why was he feeling so guilty about a girl he'd only seen for two minutes?

* * *

Yuffie bit her lip to keep from crying out. Her bruises and cuts hurt like hell. Riku carefully bandaged up Yuffie's arm to the best of his ability. "Does it hurt?" he asked softly.

"No, I'm making this face because I'm constipated," Yuffie answered darkly.

"Ah."

They sat on Yuffie's bed up in the bedroom, where forty-two of the three hundred kids at the orphanage slept. It was nightfall now, and Riku had swiped a first-aid kit from downstairs. Sora, who nearly fainted at the sight of blood, had thought it best to go downstairs and hang out with Tidus and Wakka.

"Ow!" Yuffie couldn't help but hiss when Riku applied peroxide.

"Shh! You want Ansem to hear you?"

Yuffie shut her mouth and grit her teeth. Damn. The _one_ day she hadn't been wearing her elbow and knee pads or helmet, she nearly got run over. "Ouch," she muttered.

"You know, you oughta be more careful," Riku said thoughtfully.

"Me? Be careful?" Yuffie repeated, managing a weak grin. "Sorry, it wasn't in the job description."

"If you don't watch out, Ansem will - "

" - kick me out," Yuffie finished. "Which, might I add, wouldn't be so terrible."

Riku frowned, but didn't say anything. He wasn't a worrier; he took whatever life threw at him in stride. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if Yuffie was really planning on breaking out. Having known her for ten years, Riku decided that he wouldn't put it past her. "I'm just hoping we don't get busted."

"Busted? How?"

"You know how many cronies Ansem has hanging around downtown. They might blab something."

"You mean _his_ job. I certainly don't plan on stealing all my life to get by."

"Point is, Ansem might found out that we were downtown and didn't swipe anything."

Yuffie groaned. It was one of the rules of the orphanage. If any of the orphans ever left the streets Brooklyn, they were required to come back with over a hundred dollars in merchandise for re-entry to the orphanage, not unlike paying a twisted sort of turnpike toll. Ansem had come up with the idea to make some quick cash to pay off his gambling debts. "But I don't think we were caught," Yuffie said thoughtfully. "I mean, if we were, Ansem would be pretty ticked off, and he'd - "

"He'd what?" a new voice demanded.

Riku felt his breath hitch in his throat. Yuffie's face mirrored his own terror. He slowly turned to see a furious Ansem standing in the door way, holding Sora by the scruff of his neck. "Ansem!"

"Heard you three were downtown today," Ansem spoke calmly, though his eyes betrayed his true emotions. He effortlessly flung Sora into the room and shut the door. Wordlessly, Riku and Yuffie stood up, preparing for the worst.

Ansem took a step forward, his six foot ten frame trembling with rage. His golden eyes flared with anger, and every fiber of his long, platinum hair seemed to radiate with fury.

This was Ansem at his worst. Well, worse than the three of them had ever seen. They didn't want to see the real Ansem who hadn't smoked his morning joint--ever.

He'd lost over five hundred dollars in poker today. He was low on beer, he smoked his last joint this morning and was fresh out, and these kids didn't have the decency to bring some cash. All in all, today was a bad day.

And for these punks, it was going to get worse.

"A few of my friends told me that they saw the three of you downtown this afternoon. Is that true?"

Silence.

Ansem's hand lashed out and gripped Sora's throat. "Answer me!"

"Y-Yes," Sora managed to choke out. He tried to pry Ansem's fingers from his throat.

"Without my permission?" Ansem hissed.

Sora couldn't answer due to lack of air. Ansem tossed Sora aside and rounded on Riku and Yuffie. "You've disobeyed me again."

"We're sorry, it won't happen again-" Yuffie began.

"You're right," Ansem cut her off, "It won't happen again. I've had enough of your sorry ass, Kisaragi."

Yuffie backed away as Ansem stepped closer. He was close enough for Yuffie to smell the whiskey on his breath. She met his gaze with a defiant glare.

"I've sheltered you, fed you, clothed you, educated you for nearly ten years, and this is how you repay me?"

_Don't let him bait you into responding,_ Yuffie told herself_. He just wants a reason to beat you up._ She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from answering. She wouldn't be able to put up a fight, even if she'd wanted to. She was still banged up from the accident earlier. And as much as Yuffie was dying to pound the living daylights out of Ansem, she kept her cool.

Ansem scowled down at the girl before him. He turned to Riku. "And you. I took you and your friend in as my own two sons. I nursed you both back to health under my care and protection."

"I am nothing like you," Riku spoke up. Yuffie shot him a quick glance. _She_ was the one who lost her cool, not Riku! What was he thinking?

"What?" Apparently Ansem was just as shocked as Yuffie was.

"You heard me," he answered, fists clenched so tightly they began to shake. "I am not your son!"

Ansem didn't respond. "I will give you three another chance. You," he jerked his head in Yuffie and Sora's direction, "take the first half of the neighborhood. Riku, you and Tidus take the second half. I want an average of five hundred dollars all together. Get back before midnight, understood?"

The three nodded and hurried out the door before Ansem could change his mind.

* * *

Yuffie wondered what would happen to her if one day a cop caught her breaking into a quickie mart. Juvenile Hall couldn't possibly be any worse than the orphanage. She and Sora walked along the dark, abandoned streets, looking for someone to mug. Riku and Tidus were sent over to the next neighborhood to break into someone's house. She glanced at Sora, who looked deep in thought. 

Sora often thought of running away, but he was in too deep and knew too much. Ansem would track him down and silence him before he would be able to tell anyone of the disgusting things going on at the orphanage. He supposed it was better than living on the streets; at least he ate at least once a day and had a bed to sleep in--most nights, that is. Sora could remember the first time he stole something…

"_You want me to do what?" five year-old Sora asked incredulously. His big blue eyes echoed his confusion._

"_Go up to a person, 'accidentally' bump into them so they drop their things, grab their purse or wallet, and get your butt back into this alley before they catch you," a friend of Ansem's instructed. Otto was his name. He wore a long trench coat over a black polo shirt and jeans. He had greasy black hair and eerie hazel eyes. Not to mention the guy could use a bath or two, Sora noticed, fighting the urge to pinch his nose._

"_You want me to steal?"_

"_It sounds so much worse when you put it that way," Otto said with a fake smile. "Think of it as a game. You lose if you get caught."_

"_But their stuff isn't mine," Sora pointed out._

"_It isn't," Otto agreed. "It's Ansem's. We're just getting our friend's stuff back. There's nothing wrong with that. Those people shouldn't steal our friend's stuff, now should they?"_

_Sora nodded. That sounded fair enough. He merged onto the busy sidewalk, shoving his hands into his pockets. As accidental as he could make it, Sora walked into a tall business woman who was chatting away on her cell phone. Her briefcase and purse fell open, and several folders fell from her grasp._

"_Oh great," the woman sighed._

"_Sorry," Sora apologized, almost forgetting what he had to do. While the woman was busy gathering her folders, Sora picked up her purse. He felt a pair of eyes on him and looked up. A girl his own age with cerulean orbs and auburn hair was watching him intently. Sora scowled at the little girl; girls were icky. In return, the girl stuck her tongue out at him._

"_Come on!" Otto hissed urgently. Sora ran into the alley just as the woman realized that she'd been robbed. By a five year-old, no less._

_Sora clambered onto the back of Otto's motorcycle, and they shot off down the alley back to the orphanage. "You did great kiddo," Otto congratulated. _

_Sora nodded and tried to smile, but found himself frowning. If he did great, why didn't he feel so great?_

"…Sora?" Yuffie asked. He'd been awfully quiet.

"Hm?"

"You okay?"

"Mhm."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm just thinking, that's all," Sora answered slowly.

"Look! There's someone," Yuffie whispered as she spotted a feminine figure walking down the sidewalk. "Finally. Let's just grab her stuff and get out of here."

"Excuse me?" the figure called out. "Could you give me directions to the nearest subway?"

Sora and Yuffie blinked.

_That was strange,_ Yuffie thought. No one's ever spoken to them before getting mugged. This girl obviouslywasn't from around here. Yuffie exchanged a glance with Sora. His expression mirrored her own.

Yuffie rubbed her forehead in exasperation. It was still sore from the accident earlier that morning. "Listen, you'd better get out of here," Yuffie warned. "If you're not careful, you'll get jumped."

The girl came into view, the dim streetlight shining upon her gentle features. "I'd get out of here if I knew where I was and where to go." The girl suddenly fixed her attention on Sora, giving him a steely glare. "You're not going to mug me, are you?" the girl asked warily.

Yuffie paused for a moment before sighing and shaking her head. "Nah, I guess not. It wouldn't be fair."

Next thing Sora knew, his head was jerked to the side from the force of the slap. He repressed the urge of retaliating. _Don't hit girls, don't hit girls_, he reminded himself, although, at the moment, he was considering changing his morals. "Hey! What was that for?" Sora demanded, nursing his stinging cheek.

"I think you know," the girl said with a huff.

"What are you talking about?"

"You were that little kid who stole that woman's purse!"

Sora blinked as he thought for a moment. "Wait, which woman?"

"Are you kidding? You stole her purse and then you stuck your tongue out at me."

_Oh yeah. _Wow. She was still angry for something that had happened nearly ten years ago? "Hey, I didn't want to take it. I had to." He paused for a moment. "And _you_ were the one who stuck your tongue out at _me_."

"Had to?"

"Yeah, same way I stole from that lady, I'm supposed to steal from you," Sora admitted. Yuffie gaped noiselessly at him. Was he purposely _trying _to get them into trouble? "But I won't."

"What makes me so different?"

Sora shrugged. "I...I don't know. Something about it seems wrong."

Yuffie was thoroughly confused. Obviously the two had a past. She made a mental note to ask Sora about it later. "Whatever. You need to get home, and we need some cash. Let's make a deal. Fifty bucks if me and Sora get you home safely."

"Fifty!"

"Thirty." They had to bring back _something_ to Ansem. She really didn't feel up to defending herself tonight.

"Fine. Only if you can get me home."

Sora and Yuffie looked at each other. She hoped that Riku and Tidus brought back $470 to make up for their loss… "Fine, it's a deal," Yuffie sighed.

"My name's Kairi," the girl introduced, extending a hand.

"I'm Yuffie, and you already seem to know Sora." Yuffie extended a fist in return, which resulted in an awkward handshake.

"Pleasure," Kairi said a bit sourly. "I'd like to be home before midnight, so lead the way."

* * *

Sora studied his surroundings. The large houses and tall, oak trees loomed in the dark of the night. At some point he must've had a house, just like these, and a family to call his own. He shoved his hands in his pockets. Maybe there was still a chance that his parents survived and were looking for him… 

He shook his head and forced the thought away, returning to studying the large suburban homes that lined the street.

Kairi sighed happily. It was good to be home again. She hated being alone in a strange surrounding with no familiar faces. She'd wisely opted to walk home instead of getting into a car with drunken teens after the party. Although maybe it wasn't such a wise idea after all, she later decided. She ended up wandering the streets of some run-down neighborhood in Brooklyn and almost getting mugged.

She came to a stop in front of a large two story house. Yuffie looked at the house in awe. It was a freaking mansion, complete with a white picket fence. It was the kind of house Yuffie had only seen on TV.

"Thanks a lot, you guys," Kairi said gratefully. "Just because you guys live on that side of town doesn't make you bad. It's those other people who give you guys a bad rep. In fact, you guys make better friends than some of the people I've known forever."

Yuffie smiled. It felt nice to be appreciated, for once. "No problem. If you're ever down in Brooklyn…"

"Only if I'm lost again."

"Yeah, well, stop by anyways," Sora said.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Kairi dug into the pocket of the denim jacket she wore and handed a fifty dollar bill to Sora. "Here."

Sora pushed the money back to Kairi. "I can't take this."

"You can't?" Yuffie and Kairi repeated in unison.

"It wasn't a chore to get you back home. It was actually kinda fun," Sora said thoughtfully.

"You're the best!" Kairi said, beaming. "If you're ever in the neighborhood, feel free to stop by and say hello!" She hugged both Yuffie and Sora before running up to her front door.

"Come on," Yuffie said to Sora. "We better get going and come up with some quick cash before we get beaten."

Sora didn't move. He couldn't. He watched Kairi run up the steps and open the door. Before she walked in, she waved back at Sora and smiled her thousand watt smile. Sora forced himself to wave back at her as she shut the door. Moments later, he realized that Yuffie was desperately trying to get his attention. "Oh, sorry," he apologized, hiding the blush that crept up his neck.

Yuffie grinned. "Kairi and Sora, sitting in a tree--"

"Shut up!" Sora hissed. "She's right inside! She can hear you!"

Yuffie laughed. "Come on, Romeo. We have $250 to steal."

* * *

A blond haired man sat in the passenger's side of a police car. He sipped on his coffee, hoping to keep awake. Cloud hated the night shift, especially when he had to tag along with his boss, Sephiroth. The two men sat in a stony silence in the parking lot of a Dunkin Donuts. 

Suddenly a voice crackled over the radio. "Break in over on 32nd street at the convenience store. Two kids. As far as can be told, they aren't armed."

Sephiroth groaned. Here he was, the head of the police department, going on a mere break-in and possible robbery.

Cloud let out a breath of relief. Finally, something to do that didn't include drug or rape victims. He downed the rest of his coffee and looked at his boss. "Well?"

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Well, what?" He definitely wasn't a conversationalist.

"Aren't you going to take this call?"

"Fine. You handle it."

* * *

Yuffie ran. 

Scratch that. She hauled some major ass. She didn't even know she could run this fast. _Some birthday_, she thought miserably. She followed Sora through the dark alley, clutching the bag of stolen money in her hand. "Crap oh crap oh crap oh crap," she chanted breathlessly, trying to lose the cop chasing after them. The cop, whose sharp blue eyes closely watched the two running teens, shone a flashlight to light the way.

The two came across a tall chain link fence. They both must've climbed this fence at least two hundred times in the past, so climbing it once more shouldn't be a problem. Sora pulled himself up and over with ease, landing on the other side. Yuffie found a foothold and launched herself upwards, only to have the right leg of her jeans catch on the fence.

"Sora!" she yelled.

Sora looked back. He watched Yuffie struggle to pull her pants loose. He darted over and tried to free the leg of her pants from the fence.

"Hurry!" Yuffie yelled. Panic had finally taken over. She couldn't get caught. What would they do with her? What about Riku and Sora? Finally, Sora freed her, and Yuffie threw the bag of money over the fence and quickly climbed over.

"Oh no you don't," a voice growled, and a hand caught her ankle and pulled her back down.

She struggled against the cop's strength, but it was no use. She fell hard on the asphalt. "Sora! Run!" Yuffie said to the boy as he stood rooted to the spot.

"But--"

"GO!"

Sora scooped up the money and took off into the night. He barely felt his feet touch the ground and didn't notice the stitch in his side. All he felt was the knot that had formed in his stomach. He'd never see Yuffie again…

* * *

TBC 


	3. Life Outside the Box

**Life, or Something Like It  
**_Chapter Three: Life Outside the Box_

* * *

Sora burst in through the front door, his breathing coming out harsh and raspy. He ran up the stairs three at a time, still clutching the bag of stolen money. He found Riku in the room sitting on the floor playing cards with Wakka and Tidus. 

Riku looked up from his hand of cards. "Took you guys long enough. Ansem's in his office," Riku informed. Then a frown creased his forehead. "Hey, where's Yuffie? We still haven't given her her gift. She probably thinks we forgot about her birthday."

Sora came to a stop beside Tidus and began to stammer. "We were running-then there was this light-cops after us-jumped the fence-Yuffie's pants got stuck-I couldn't help her-she told me to run-they took her away and now she's gone."

"Did anybody understand that?" Tidus asked blankly, hoping for a translation.

"The cops got Yuffie?" Riku guessed, dread settling in the pit of his stomach.

Sora nodded, struggling to catch his breath. He finally felt the fatigue of running nearly two miles non-stop. "What are we gonna do?" Sora asked miserably before plopping down beside Riku. He couldn't help but feel as if Riku would blame him for Yuffie getting caught. He supposed, in a way, it was his fault. If he'd only been faster…

"What _can_ we do?" Wakka wondered aloud.

"Get her the hell out of there," Riku said determinedly.

"We won't be able to bust her out. They wouldn't lock her up in a regular cell. She'll probably be in some sort of detention center."

"Wakka's right, Riku. We have to tell Ansem. He's the only one who can get her out legally," Tidus pointed out.

Riku sighed. He knew Yuffie could take care of herself perfectly fine, but for some reason, he felt the need to make sure she didn't do anything reckless and get hurt. He couldn't explain why he felt the way he did.

"I definitely don't want to be Yuffie when Ansem comes storming into the police station. But Yuffie's a big girl. She can handle herself," Wakka added quickly to reassure Sora and Riku, who had lapsed into a steady, stony silence.

Sora couldn't meet Riku's gaze. It was his fault Yuffie was probably never coming back. "It's getting close to midnight. Ansem's gonna be wondering where Yuffie is."

Riku lifted his eyes to settle upon Sora. For the strangest reason, he had an urge to knock Sora a good one and yell at him for not being able to help Yuffie. But it wasn't his fault. It was no one's fault. Unless…an angry blush lit his pale cheeks. Unless Yuffie had planned to get captured so she'd get out of the orphanage.

"_If you don't watch out, Ansem will-"_

"_-kick me out," Yuffie finished. "Which, might I add, wouldn't be so terrible."_

She wouldn't…would she? As he had thought earlier, he definitely wouldn't put it past her. So she'd gotten the one gift he'd never be able to give her --freedom.

Riku's face hardened. "So? What can we do? You'll just have to tell Ansem what happened."

Sora's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. Was Riku mad at him for Yuffie's arrest? He thought that his best friend had been trying to come up with a way to avoid telling Ansem the truth. It didn't bother Sora that he usually lied to Ansem; Ansem was never truthful to him, so what reason could there be for Sora to be truthful in return? But now…the truth was all he had.

Sora sighed. He prayed that Yuffie had enough sense not to open her mouth.

* * *

Yuffie rest her head against the window. Damn, these handcuffs bugged her! Rain splattered against the window, dampening the cool November night. Tears threatened and burned at the corners of her eyes, but she was used to threats. She received them about seven times a day, at the orphanage. She had to stay strong. She'd made it this far. 

Her eyes focused on the two cops sitting in the front. One had silver hair that rivaled Riku's and was almost as long as Ansem's. The other had blond spiky hair that stuck out in all ways imaginable, and he had vibrant blue eyes. He vaguely reminded her of Sora. She felt her stomach drop. Sora. Riku. Her family. During her stay at the orphanage, she'd learned that family goes much deeper than blood. It was a trust that could only be established through love. Yuffie smiled. She knew Sora and Riku would never outwardly admit it, but she knew that they loved her too, in their strange, brotherly sort of way. Together, the three of them were practically Siamese triplets. Yuffie giggled softly at the image. She noticed that the silver haired cop looked at her in the rearview mirror with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I'm not psychotic, if that's what you're thinking," she said to him. She could tell he didn't believe her, but she didn't care. What business of his was it whether she was sane or not?

Sephiroth smirked and settled his gaze back on the road. That's what they all said...

Moments later, they pulled into the parking lot of a police station. She recognized this parking lot well. She'd watched some of the older kids as a young child get hauled away in cop cars, sirens blaring, tires squealing. But she never thought that'd she'd be the one in the car. The blond haired cop opened the door for her. She climbed out and stood still for a moment, letting the raindrops soak her hair.

"What're you waiting for?" Blondie asked gruffly. "It's raining."

"Brilliant observation, Watson," Yuffie grumbled, following Quicksilver inside.

As soon as they were situated in an office, Sephiroth began drilling Yuffie for answers. "Name."

"Yuffie Kisaragi."

"Phone number."

"Don't have one."

"Parents' phone number."

"Don't have any of those, either."

"Where do you live?"

"An orphanage. On 32nd and Forrest."

"I see," Sephiroth said, filling out a form in his elegant penmanship.

Yuffie took the opportunity to glance at Blondie. "Can you get these stupid handcuffs off me? I'm not about to break out. And even if I did," Yuffie added, "I have nowhere to go."

Cloud didn't react to Yuffie's request. Great. He was Watson as well as deaf.

"Birthday," Sephiroth continued in a clipped, business man tone.

"November 20th, 1986."

Pause. "Seventeen?"

"Yep."

"Happy birthday. Sorry you have to spend it like this," Cloud said softly.

"Thanks." Then a thought crossed her mind. Had Riku and Sora forgotten her birthday? They hadn't mentioned it at all. On her previous birthdays, the first thing she awoke to in the morning was a badly sung chorus of "Happy Birthday". Ok, so she herself had sort of forgotten, but she never gave her birthday much thought. As the years wore on, her birthday became less and less important.

Sephiroth leaned back in his seat and clasped his hands behind his head. He'd received similar reports of someone with this girl's description mugging and pick pocketing people. He was nearly sure that this girl was responsible for those other reports. But she was an orphan, and orphans had to do whatever necessary to get by. If it meant stealing, working for gangs, or becoming prostitutes, it was natural human instinct to survive, no matter what.

He also knew that there had been a few phone calls from concerned neighbors about screaming and sounds of breaking glass coming from the Eastside Orphanage. He hadn't been able to do anything but send a cop over to the neighborhood and check things out. He didn't have enough proof for a search warrant.

This girl might turn out to be all the proof he needed.

Cloud could nearly see the wheels turning behind Sephiroth's green eyes. He wanted to shake his head in disbelief. This man never stopped working. It was obvious why he was head of the police department, but Sephiroth was nearly bad as Squall when it came to "relaxing." Both didn't seem to know the meaning of taking a break.

"So…Miss Kisaragi," Sephiroth began, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his desk. "You're an orphan?"

_Did I not just establish that?_ she thought. And this guy was supposed to be the Sherlock of the two cops? "Yeah. My parents had died in the disappearance of my home, when I was seven or so."

"Your home?"

"Hollow Bastion."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Cloud knew that this, "Oh?" was directed towards him. He, too, was from Hollow Bastion. Cloud studied the girl more thoroughly. She seemed faintly familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"I see…so you ended up here when you were seven?"

"That's right."

"How did you get to the orphanage? New York isn't quite the best place for a seven year-old to be running around by herself."

"A man named Ansem took me in," Yuffie answered, her expression darkening slightly.

Sephiroth noticed this. "Why the sour look?"

Yuffie shifted uncomfortably. She knew she was being cross-examined. She herself was an expert at avoiding questions and cross-examining others. But for some reason, this guy was different. It was as if he knew that he'd outsmart her anyways. "He's not the easiest of people to get along with. I'm sure you know the type," Yuffie said pointedly, smirking slightly.

Cloud managed to quickly disguise his bout of laughter as a prolonged cough.

Sephiroth wasn't fazed at all. "How is life at the orphanage?" he pressed. "Are you fed regularly? Do you get enough exercise? How about your education?"

"I have a fast metabolism, I was fast enough to keep Blondie over here huffing and puffing," Cloud glowered at this, "and two plus two equals four."

"What about sleeping?"

"What about it?" Yuffie asked evasively.

"Do you have a bed to sleep in?"

"What good is a bed when you can't sleep because of a raving lunatic who's beating up harmless little-" Yuffie cut herself off. He'd done just what she was hoping he wouldn't do. He'd gotten her to admit that there was something going on at the orphanage.

"He's abusive, isn't he." The words came out as a statement instead of a question.

Yuffie looked away. "Will this stay confidential?"

"We will keep your identity secret, and you will be kept in custody, in case this Ansem character decides to hunt you down."

Yuffie's face paled. Sephiroth sighed. Perhaps that wasn't quite the best choice of words.

"He beats us," Yuffie said suddenly. What good was lying going to do her now? They already knew what was going on, and maybe it'd get her and her friends out of the orphanage -- for good.

"He?" Cloud asked.

"Ansem." Yuffie paused. "If we didn't steal money and other things for him, he said we'd get thrown out. He had told us as kids that we were paying our rent. We give him money, we get a place to sleep, eat, and live."

"How long have you been at this orphanage?" Sephiroth asked.

"Ten years."

"You've been stealing and breaking into places for ten years?" Cloud asked incredulously.

Yuffie shrugged. "It's not as if I'd asked to do this." It was then she'd noticed the small microphone planted on a coffee cup on the desk. "I'm being recorded! I thought you were supposed to ask for permission for that!"

Sephiroth took the microphone. "Would you have told me all those things if you'd known you were being recorded?"

"No."

"Exactly."

"I don't need a damn appointment to get in there!" someone roared from outside Sephiroth's office.

"Three guesses who that is," Yuffie muttered. The door flew open on its hinges and hit the wall. A six foot ten figure with a full head of platinum hair that matched Sephiroth's for length, and a pair of angry-no, pissed-golden eyes shooting daggers at Yuffie stormed into the room.

"Gentlemen," Ansem greeted the two officers with a voice that sounded much calmer than he seemed. "What is the problem?"

"You," Yuffie answered before either Cloud or Sephiroth could say anything. She was through with taking his crap. There were two policemen in the room. She could talk back to him all she wanted and not get punished for it.

Ansem chuckled. "I'm not the one who stayed out past curfew."

"I wouldn't be out after curfew if you'd pay off your own stinking gambling debts," Yuffie retorted.

Ansem's smile grew wider. "Silly girl, what are you talking about?" He rolled his eyes as if to say, "Kids these days".

This time it was Yuffie who smiled. It was a sadistic grin that did not please her gentle features at all. She knew she probably looked like a loony, but she really couldn't be bothered to care. "You know, if I were you, I wouldn't be smiling right now. They know. I've told them."

Ansem's smile dropped almost as quickly as he'd put it on. Yuffie knew that'd wipe the smirk off his face. He turned several shades of red before making a grab for Yuffie.

But Cloud was ready. He lunged forward with his nightstick and struck Ansem right where his shoulder and neck met. Yuffie still sat in the chair, too stunned to move. Ansem plunged his hand into his trench coat, and that's when Yuffie finally regained the ability to move. She leapt out of her seat and ducked behind the desk. Sephiroth was no longer sitting behind his desk, but was now gripping Ansem's wrist before any weapon could be removed. "I can and will charge you with attempted assault," Sephiroth said in a voice colder than the one he had used when speaking to Yuffie.

Ansem met Sephiroth's gaze. The two men stared each other down, neither one relenting. They both seemed to be daring the other to back down. Ansem snarled angrily and pulled his wrist away roughly. He strode over to the door and left.

"By the way, I'll be over to investigate in three days' time."

The only answer Sephiroth received was the slamming of the office door. Sephiroth massaged his temples to gather his wits. He _had_ to choose the night shift. "Strife, take the girl somewhere safe, then head straight to the orphanage. We'll put the rest of the kids in a shelter until we can transfer them elsewhere. I'll send in backup first to surround the place."

Cloud nodded and motioned for Yuffie to follow him.

Yuffie blinked. Everything was happening so fast. "But won't I need to go back to the orphanage?"

"No. We can't risk it," Sephiroth stated flatly.

"But my friends, my stuff, are at the orphanage," Yuffie protested, standing up from her crouch behind the desk.

"See you in an hour," Sephiroth said to Cloud, ignoring Yuffie.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Yuffie called after him as he left. "Listen to me dammit! Some of the very few things I own are at the orphanage!"

"Let's go," Cloud said firmly.

Yuffie suddenly felt very, very tired. She stuck out her hands, which were still bound by handcuffs.

Cloud unlocked them and wordlessly made his way into the parking lot. Yuffie followed, splashing in the puddles as she walked. She climbed into the backseat and took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. Now that she was finally free from the prison known as Eastside Orphanage, she couldn't help but wonder if the world outside the box was much more dangerous than the one she grew accustomed to.

It was just so cold, so cold. She pulled her leather jacket tightly around her for warmth, shutting her eyes tightly. She couldn't hold it in anymore. There was no more Ansem to berate her for showing weakness. She was safe. A single tear escaped her eye, and it landed on her hands, which were folded on her lap. Soon one tear turned into two, and two into four.

Cloud looked in his rearview mirror. He watched the girl lose her composure and break down. He settled his eyes back on the slick road. He couldn't help but feel a pang of pity towards the girl. Cloud himself had a rough time after losing his home nine--no, it was ten, now--years ago. Luckily, he was taken in by a man named Cid, whom he now referred to as his uncle.

But not everyone was as lucky as he was, and Yuffie was proof of that.

* * *

TBC 


	4. Before the Storm

**Life, or Something Like It  
**_Chapter Four: Before the Storm_

_

* * *

_

Squall watched Aerith pace about the living room. Cloud hadn't shown up at the restaurant over four hours ago, and he hadn't called. He'd decided to keep Aerith company until Cloud returned. Normally, Aerith was one of the most understanding and patient people he knew. But when it came to Cloud, patience just wasn't an option. This statement was evident in he way she was pacing about the room in a frenzy. Squall looked at his watch. It was nearly midnight. He sighed when he realized that he was probably going to be late to work yet again tomorrow.

But as Aerith had told him some time ago, he needed to sort out his priorities. Work came after his health, and the safety of his friends. But lately, Aerith and Cloud had been implying that work was all he cared about. Maybe it was. His patients were important to him. After all, they were paying him a large sum of money to help them through their problems. Besides that, he was flattered to know that some of these people would come to him rather than their own family. Friendships had been formed, and now his first friends felt that they were being neglected. Squall suppressed another sigh. "Wearing a hole in your carpet isn't going to bring Cloud back," he commented as he watched Aerith frantically pace around the room.

"Sitting here isn't either," Aerith replied. It was all she could do to stop herself from pulling out her hair in frustration. Cloud_ always_ called to say he'd be late. He wasn't at the office, and she had no number to reach him. Suddenly, she became very aware of herself. Her hands were wrung together, and she could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears. For the fiftieth time in the past minute, Aerith found herself wondering if Cloud was all right.

"So, how was your day?" Squall asked. Maybe it'd be best to keep her talking. Otherwise she'd end up thinking of the terrible things that could have happened, and then she'd drive both herself and Squall crazy playing "what if…?" for the rest of the night.

Aerith stared. "You must be joking," she stated flatly.

"No, I'm not. When have you known me to joke around?"

"Point taken."

"How was work?"

"The usual. Car wrecks, accidents with super glue, fires, expecting mothers, broken arms, legs, noses…surprises are hard to come by after working in the emergency room for five years." Aerith stopped. "You know, you're almost too good at this psychiatrist thing."

Squall blinked. "What?"

"Distracting me like that."

"All I did was ask a few questions. You had every right to refuse to answer them."

"Don't make this look like my fault."

"Do I really do that?"

"Blame me?"

"No, distract you."

Aerith sighed. Christ, she was fighting a losing battle. "Yes. You do. Purposely."

"I don't do it purposely," Squall said with a shrug.

"Distract people?"

"No, blame you."

"Do us both a favor and shut up. I have a huge headache, and I'm sure you do too."

"You brought it upon yourself, asking me to go to dinner with you guys."

"Maybe for one crazy moment, I thought you wouldn't cross examine me all night." Aerith massaged her temples and said in a softer tone, "Haven't you wondered why you haven't had a date in ages?"

Squall leaned back into the couch and clasped his hands behind his head. "No, not really. I'm not interested."

"I forgot that work was all you cared about."

Squall briefly closed his eyes before answering. "Just because I choose to show my affection for my friends subtly and put all my effort into my work doesn't mean I don't care."

Aerith finally sat down beside him. Her legs ached from all that pacing. "I'm worried about you, that's all."

"You don't need to. You already have Cloud to worry for."

"But I have to, since you won't let anyone else worry about you."

Squall didn't answer, but he knew she was right.

* * *

Cloud pulled up in the driveway of his home. He found Squall's car parked outside. That's when he remembered that he was supposed to go out to dinner earlier. Cloud mentally kicked himself for forgetting. Aerith was going to kill him-or Squall-if he didn't get inside. He opened the door of the backseat to find a sleeping Yuffie curled up into a ball. This was the same girl who had been bugging him for nearly two hours through the car ride to the station about the handcuffs? She looked harmless, he decided. Well, at least when she was asleep. He sighed again softly before reaching out and gently shaking her shoulder.

Her dark eyes opened slowly, taking in her surroundings. Yuffie sat up and immediately wished she hadn't. A crick in her neck throbbed painfully. She got out of the car and followed Cloud up a path that led to a nicely furnished home in Queens. A light sheet of rain still fell, chilling her to the bone. The cold seemed to seep through her clothes and skin and settle in her heart.

Cloud shoved his key into the hole and unlocked the front door. "Aerith? Squall?" he called as he walked in, shaking his head in an attempt to dry his hair that hung limply with water.

Aerith and Squall both looked to the door. The muscular frame of Cloud emerged from the foyer. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, but other than that he was all right. "Cloud!" Aerith sighed, relieved that he was safe. Her happiness quickly turned into a frown. "Where have you been?"

"Long story. I'll explain later when I get back," Cloud said tiredly.

"When you get back…?" Aerith echoed.

"Where are you going?" Squall asked.

"To an orphanage. The owner's been abusing the kids there. In the meantime, would it be all right if she stayed here for now?"

"She?"

"Me," the small figure that had been hiding behind Cloud spoke up. She stepped forward. Her long black hair was plastered to her forehead with raindrops, her baggy black jeans, long sleeved gray shirt, and leather jacket were dripping wet. She had a pair of strangely colored dark violet eyes that were bleary with fatigue.

That is, until the aforementioned eyes settled on the man beside the woman referred to as Aerith and widened in shock.

Squall stared back with equal incredulity. It was her!

"You!" the two managed to sputter simultaneously.

Yuffie held a hand to her forehead. If this wasn't a birthday surprise, she didn't know what was.

"Are you -" Squall began before Yuffie had rudely cut him off.

"I am not in the mood to deal with you now," she started. "I've had a _hell_ of a birthday since you nearly ran me over this morning, you jerk! And, by the way, the phrase 'Happy Birthday' wouldn't really describe the kind of crappy birthday I've had, so don't bother trying to wish me a happy birthday, when, clearly, I am not happy!" Yuffie finished angrily.

"Could've fooled me," Squall answered a bit sourly. He wasn't quite the happy camper at the moment either.

Aerith blinked. "Wait, you two know each other?"

"Unfortunately," both Squall and Yuffie sighed. Yuffie glared at him.

"She was the reason why I was late this morning," Squall explained. "We had a little run in."

"More like run over," Yuffie corrected. "He nearly ran me over with his Mercedes."

"Did you go to a hospital?" Aerith asked.

Yuffie shook her head and winced. Her head was still sore. "No. Don't have health insurance or any of that crap."

Aerith frowned. "Were you hurt?"

"A few cuts, bumps, and bruises here and there. Nothing major," Yuffie said with a shrug. Next thing she knew, Yuffie was sitting on the couch and grimacing as Aerith unwrapped bandages and studied her wounds.

"You didn't go to a clinic?"

"No."

"You might have an infection," Aerith said disapprovingly, clucking her tongue. "Squall, go to the bathroom and get some peroxide from the medicine chest. And grab some bandages while you're at it."

Squall got up and did as he was told. He could still feel the disbelieving gaze of the girl watching him. If he didn't have manners, he'd probably be doing the same thing. It was almost as if this girl was following him around. He shrugged it off. It wasn't as if he was going to bring her home like a lost puppy or anything…

* * *

Sora stared up at the ceiling. He was mentally exhausted, but his body was itching to run around or something. It was well into the night and sleep still hadn't come to him. His stomach was still doing flip flops after Yuffie's arrest. Sora could tell that Riku blamed him, even if he hadn't said it outright.

He sat up and reached under his bed. His hands found a brown box with a light blue silk ribbon tied around it. Sora toyed with the soft ribbon before opening it. Inside the box were three items. One was a picture of himself, Riku, and Yuffie, grinning with their arms wrapped around each other and making a peace sign with their free hands. Sora smiled wistfully. That was probably the only happy memory he had of the orphanage. He read the short note he had written on the back of the picture.

_"Happy Birthday! This is the last birthday you'll be spending here. Keep this picture with you to remember that we did have some good times here, even if there were more bad times than good._

_-Sora."_

The second item was an old postcard with the image of a floating castle with mountains of ice surrounding it. Scrawled beneath it in neat, calligraphic letters was, "Hollow Bastion". Written on the back side was a message from Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie. How they had gotten their hands on a postcard with a picture of Yuffie's home was beyond him.

Sora looked at the last item in the box, which was from Riku. A set of ninja stars—shurikens, Riku called them—lay at the bottom of the box. There must've been at least fifty shurikens in the leather pouch. Riku had said that Ansem had a room full of stuff he took from kids that he thought were valuable. Sora shook his head. He wasn't surprised that Ansem would steal from kids. So Riku had snuck in and grabbed the pouch of shurikens for Yuffie. If this wasn't a great birthday present, Sora didn't know what was.

He sighed. He'd been hoping to see the tears in her eyes when she opened the box. Not that she cried very often. Now that he thought about it, Sora had never seen her cry. Only once, when Ansem had brought her into the orphanage all those years ago.

Riku watched Sora open the box and study each gift. He rolled over onto his side so that his back was facing Sora. Why him? Why did he have to be the one out of a million kids to lose his home? Why hadn't this world been taken? His island was much better—and much more peaceful and quieter—than this world. Dreary gray snow, blistering heat in the summer, police sirens wailing constantly...this place was the antithesis of peaceful and quiet. After all, it wasn't called the "city that never sleeps" for nothing. But now that he thought about it, if he went back, he wouldn't be able to sleep at night without the sounds of New York.

The wail of police sirens was getting awfully close, Riku noticed. The sound of screeching tires caused him to sit up sharply, and a voice boomed over a megaphone, causing him to jump to his feet.

"Everyone out with your hands behind your head!"

Riku strode over to the window and pulled back the shades so he could see. A fleet of at least ten cop cars surrounded the orphanage. Some cops were armed, others weren't.

By this time, the rest of the kids in the room had woken up. Sora made his way over, still cradling the box in his hands. "What's going on?"

Riku shrugged impatiently. "I don't know, I guess they're after Ansem."

"Yuffie must've told them what was going on," Sora realized, a small smile creeping across his face. He knew she wouldn't leave them here if there was something she could do.

"Doesn't matter. We need to get out of here without waking Ansem," Riku said. Clapping his hands, he got the attention of the rest of the kids in the room. "Listen up! All of you in here, you're going to follow Wakka out the back door and down the alley. Selphie, Tidus, you guys go grab the toddlers and go through the side door. Sora, you and I will get the rest and go down through the fire escape here. Meet out in front in five, okay?"

The four nodded. They had planned what to do if something like this should happen. Since they were the older kids at the orphanage, they thought it was their duty to take care of the younger children. It was mostly Yuffie's idea…Riku shook his head. He mentally made a note to thank Yuffie…if he ever saw her again.

Riku crept down the hallway silently and walked into the adjacent room. He slowly opened the door and turned on the light.

Twenty-seven sleepy heads arose from their pillows. Murmurs of confusion and irritation filled the room until Riku hushed them. "Listen very carefully. There are cops waiting outside. We have to get out of here. Grab some clothes and anything else you can find and follow me. No talking, got it?"

Panic stricken, they did as they were told. Riku stifled the urge to chuckle. It took a grave situation like this to keep them quiet. _We should have the police surround the orphanage more often_, Riku mused.

-::-

Ansem sat slumped in an armchair, staring at the black and white dots on the screen drunkenly. Thanks to that girl, he had three days to pick up and leave town without a trace. He figured he could stay with a friend who owed him in South Carolina. When he got his hands on that girl he'd…he'd…

The beer bottle he'd been clutching tightly with anger shattered in his hand. He cursed and nursed his bleeding hand with his good one. She would pay….Ansem thumped his head. He had a ringing of sirens blaring in his head. Maybe another joint or two ought to do the trick…Suddenly, he became aware of the flashing lights outside the window on the street below.

"Everyone out in ten minutes or we're coming in!" a voice boomed loudly. Ansem recognized the voice as the head of the police department. He stood up abruptly and stormed into the hall. He kicked open the nearest bedroom door and looked around. All of the toddlers were missing. Ansem opened the next door to find another empty room. He reached the last room and turned the knob slowly…

-::-

Riku's head snapped around as he heard someone opening the door. He met Sora's bewildered gaze. "Go!" Riku hissed, nearly shoving Sora out the window onto the fire escape.

Ansem pushed the door open to see Riku standing by the window, terror etched on his face.

Sora looked back at Riku with wide eyes. He wouldn't leave another friend behind. Not again. "Riku—"

"Go!" Riku said urgently. He looked back at Ansem, expecting the man to lunge at him. He tensed, ready to defend himself if need be. Riku slowly reached into his pocket and fingered the switchblade knife that he had snatched while in that room of valuables.

Ansem growled and plunged his hand into his jacket. What Riku was not expecting was to be staring down the barrel of a gun…

* * *

_Revised 08/20/2010_


	5. Touch the Sky

**Life, or Something Like It  
**_Chapter Five: Touch the Sky_

_

* * *

_

_And then one day I was overcome_

_By loneliness and despair_

_And deep inside I thought I heard_

'_Lean on me, I'm here'_

_- _Avril Lavigne, "Touch the Sky"

_

* * *

_

Yuffie watched helplessly as Cloud's car backed out of the driveway. The only thing keeping her from bolting out the front door, down the street after the car was Squall's hand that lay on her shoulder. She shrugged it off impatiently and shuffled over to the couch she had just vacated. She threw herself onto it and shut her eyes. Now that she could hear herself think, she could actually comprehend what was going on. _The cops are over at the orphanage to bust Ansem. And hey__, at least I finally got out of there,_ Yuffie mused.

"Yuffie?"

No response.

"Yuffie?" Aerith tried again. "Your bedroom is the third door on the right if you're tired."

"I'm not tired."

Squall stifled a chuckle. The dark circles underneath her eyes told him otherwise. But one could only rest peacefully when their mind was at rest. And from the emotions dancing in her bleary eyes, she was definitely not at peace; far from it.

"Would you like some—?"

"No thanks. I'm not hungry or thirsty." Yuffie wished that this woman would just quit bugging her. Yuffie knew that Aerith meant well, but all she wanted was to be alone, just as she had been for the past seventeen years.

Aerith let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay, then. If you need something, feel free to ask. Or maybe we could talk…?"

Yuffie blinked. Silence.

"Well. Do feel free to ask if you need anything at all," Aerith said momentarily, standing up and walking to the kitchen. She wouldn't force the girl to talk if she didn't want to. She'd leave Squall to getting information out of her.

"I'm going for a walk," Yuffie announced suddenly, standing up.

"What?"

"Oh." Yuffie sighed and asked awkwardly, "I'm going for a walk?" She wasn't accustomed to asking anyone for permission. She headed for the front door. "Don't wait up for me."

"Oh no you don't," Aerith said sternly. "I'm responsible for you, and you are not leaving this house without me or my consent."

_I didn't ask you for either one, _she thought before grabbing her jacket. "You're not my mother," Yuffie snapped. "I can take care of myself."

"You're so used to taking care of yourself, you've forgotten how it is to have someone else care for you. Just go to bed, and let us worry about things for a while. Get a good night's sleep and clear your head a bit. We're here to help. Why won't you accept it?"

Yuffie hesitated. Yes, it would be so much easier to let someone else worry about it, to take off the weight that she unknowingly placed upon herself. But that would be the easy way out, and she wasn't raised like that. Life wasn't easy. She shrugged on her jacket. "Because," she said, glancing over her shoulder, "I don't know how." The door slammed shut and left Squall and Aerith to ponder her answer.

"I'll bring her back," Squall spoke up, grabbing his coat and an umbrella. "Get some rest in the mean time. You look dead on your feet."

Aerith nodded and watched him go. If anybody could bring that girl back, it was Squall. He had a seemingly never ending supply of patience and was probably just as headstrong as Yuffie. "In any contest between power and patience, bet on patience," she repeated the quote Squall normally referred to. Now it made so much more sense that Squall dealt with Yuffie right now.

* * *

Running. It was all she'd been doing, it seemed. Where her feet were carrying her, she had no idea. But all she knew was that she needed to catch her breath, both mentally and physically. It was as if something was missing in her newfound freedom, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Ignoring the soft, wet pitter-patter of the rain landing on her, Yuffie sat on a bench after deciding it'd be useless to go any farther. Everyone was lending her a hand during a very vulnerable moment. It was difficult to tell whether they wanted to help her up or pull her even further down. Ever since Ansem, Yuffie had thought it best never to willingly give away her trust.

She cradled her head in her hands. She felt as if her head would burst. Just once, she wished she could let someone take care of her. Her mind went back to the previous night. She envied the way Selphie could openly cry; she was envious of the fact that Selphie had someone to hold her as she did. Yuffie tried to imagine a pair of strong arms protectively pulling her into a gentle embrace, soft words of comfort being whispered into her ear, gentle fingers wiping away any traces of tears or sadness from her cheeks…

"Let us show you."

Yuffie looked up sharply. "Go away," she said dully after recognizing who it was.

Squall sat beside her on the bench so that the umbrella he held could shelter the both of them. "You said you didn't know how to let us help. We can show you. You just have to trust us."

"How do I know you won't hurt me?"

"How do you know I will? The most you can do is take my word for it."

"Yeah, well, I don't want it."

"Well. Then what do you want?"

Yuffie thought for a moment. "I…I don't know."

"What you think is best for you may actually turn out to be one of the worst things for you and others around you. And what you think is worse may end up being the best thing that will ever happen to you."

"Quit speaking in riddles. What are you talking about?"

"Right now, you're here for your own good. Do you agree with that?"

Yuffie shrugged. "I guess, but I'm not quite happy with it."

"Why aren't you happy?"

"I don't know, it just doesn't seem real. I mean, after all I've done, can I really live happily ever after?" she wondered, using her fingers to comb her damp bangs out of her eyes.

"You can't," Squall answered, "until you come to terms with everything."

"How can I? I don't even remember coming to this goddamn city! The only thing I can remember was waking up here." Yuffie glanced at Squall and began to go on but stopped. Her gaze focused on a silver lion pendant that hung on a chain around Squall's neck. She reached out and touched the pendant. "Where did you get this?"

If Squall found the question a bit peculiar, he didn't show it. "This? Oh, I've had it for as long as I can remember."

Yuffie stared at it. It was so familiar…

_"Hey S-"_

_"No."_

_"But you don't even know what-"_

_"No."_

_"Won't you just let me-?"_

_"No."_

_"Please."_

_Silence._

_"Please."_

_Nothing._

_The girl stopped skipping after the boy and frowned at his retreating back. She took a deep breath. "Please, please, please, please, please, please-"_

_"Dammit, what?"_

_"Can I __please__ come and train with you?"_

_"No. I want to train alone."_

_The girl hurried after him and suggested, "Then I can watch!"_

_"You'll just get in the way."_

_"Aw, come on! Do you have to be a jerk all the time?" the girl asked, putting her hands on her hips. Her temper was beginning to flare up and her patience was running short._

_She didn't receive an answer and ran after him, continuing to whine._

Yuffie blinked and let go of the pendant. The figures were a bit blurry as usual, but this….vision, was different from her dreams. She could clearly make out the heavy necklace around the boy's neck. It was eerily similar to the one Squall wore.

"Are you okay?" Squall asked after a moment.

Yuffie laughed ruefully. "Mentally or physically?"

"Both."

Yuffie then realized that he was serious. She sighed before saying, "I'm not crazy, all right?"

"Why don't you come back to the house?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"_Because_…I'm worried for my friends."

"I see."

"No, you don't."

"Then let someone see it through your eyes. I can't understand if you don't tell me."

This guy was being a pain in the ass now. It was nice before, since he was just comforting her. But now he was plain infuriating. "What are you, some kinda shrink?"

"Psychiatrist, actually."

Her eyes narrowed as she said firmly, "I'm not crazy. Why does everyone think I'm on the brink of insanity?"

Squall hid a smile. "Yeah, I get that a lot. But I didn't say you were crazy. All I know is that it must've been tough living the way you did without losing it."

"What the hell do you want from me?" Yuffie asked. "Just stick me in a room of padded walls already, why don't you?"

"You seem angry."

"I would think so. Some bastard's implying that I'm mentally ill!"

Squall slightly flinched at the curse word. This was why he tried to avoid dealing with teenagers, he thought idly. "Go on," he said patiently.

And she did.

* * *

"A-Ansem," Riku said uncertainly. "You…can't." _Well, duh he can,_ he thought after he spoke. _He's the one with the gun, remember? _"The cops are coming in."

"Not if I have a hostage."

"What good is a hostage who's already dead?"

"They don't have to know whether the hostage is alive or not. All they need to know is that I have a gun and I'm not afraid to use it."

Riku gulped. He'd known that Ansem wasn't right in the head, but he didn't know that Ansem was a raving lunatic. With a gun.

"I can. And I will." Ansem smirked at the fear in Riku's eyes. His voice dropped a few octaves as he asked, "Not so brave now, Riku?"

Sora was crouched beneath the window, hidden from sight. He could hear every word that the two spoke. There was nothing he could do. Just like before. Again he had to standby as another friend slipped away. Sora clenched his fists so tightly, his nails left small crescent shaped cuts on his palms. Ignoring the sting of blood, he opened the box and took out a shuriken and gripped it firmly. He stood up and called out, "Hey, Ansem!" before throwing the weapon with all his strength.

Riku flinched at the sound of the gunshot and Ansem's yell. A bullet was embedded in the wall next to his head. Sora had knocked Ansem's aim awry with a shuriken. Ansem now stood wrenching the weapon out of his arm while hissing in pain.

"Riku!" Sora urged. "Come on!"

Riku didn't need to be told twice. He snapped into action and climbed through the window onto the fire escape after Sora. Riku missed the last few steps of the ladder and hit the pavement hard. He felt a hand take his arm and drag him to his feet. It was too dark, too dark to see. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, causing him to tremble violently. Riku was a tough kid. He'd stood up to guys twice his size and was always in control. But he had felt so powerless when he had been staring down the barrel of that gun. And if it wasn't for Sora, he wouldn't be getting dragged around the building to the front where cops and children stood.

"There they are!" a voice yelled over the sirens and chaos. Riku recognized the voice as Tidus.

"Told ya they'd make it out all right," he heard Wakka tell Selphie.

Riku and Sora staggered back after Selphie had tackled them. Sora could feel tears seeping through his shirt as Selphie yammered on. "_Never_ do that again! You guys had us worried sick."

"Yeah, next time I'll remember not to get stuck in a room with Ansem and a gun," Riku said a bit dryly.

"A gun!" Tidus exclaimed. "And how come you're not dead?"

Riku glanced at Sora. "If it wasn't for Sora…"

Sora smiled. "You would've done the same for me."

"Thanks."

Sora nodded as he said, "No biggie. All in a day at the orphanage."

All five teens looked up as someone let loose a string of curses and profanity. Ansem was being dragged out of the building, his hands firmly handcuffed behind his back. He was screaming death threats at each kid he passed. Wakka cupped his hands around his mouth and called, "That's stuff's getting old, Ansem! I've already heard that one!"

Tidus snickered while Selphie scolded them for being immature. Sora found a familiar head of blond spiky hair by a cop car. He looked down at the box in his hands. Wherever Yuffie was, she deserved a birthday gift. Anything to tell her how sorry he was for abandoning her. He pushed through the crowd, getting elbowed across the head a few times. The man was by a car far from the crowd. He was leaning against it with his arms folded across his chest. He seemed to be trying his hardest to keep awake. "Hey!" Sora greeted.

"Huh?" Cloud grunted as his eyes snapped open. "What do you want, punk?" He asked as his gaze settled on the boy before him. What was it with him and kids today?

Sora frowned at being called a punk, but decided not to comment. "You know that girl you took in earlier for breaking into a store?" he asked, cutting to the chase.

Cloud shrugged. "What about her?"

The kid practically shoved the box into his hands. "Give this to her, will you? And tell her, 'Happy Birthday'."

"What-" Cloud began.

But Sora had already blended into the crowd and disappeared.

Cloud sighed. He looked around. He wasn't needed here. Sephiroth and the others seemed to have the situation all under control. Besides, he was half asleep and wouldn't be of any real use to anyone. Cloud climbed into his car and suppressed another sigh. He'd have hell to pay in the morning for taking off.

* * *

The rain had stopped, and so had Yuffie's raging temper. They both now sat in silence. Squall was regarding her with a mildly amused expression. "Now don't you feel a little bit better now that you got all that off your chest?" Squall inquired.

"No," Yuffie answered flatly.

Squall stood up and closed his umbrella. "No man—or woman—is an island. Try to remember that before you push away someone special."

Yuffie scoffed. "Someone special?" she echoed.

"You don't always get a second chance," he said seriously, meeting her gaze and holding it before he turned away. "See you back at the house." His footsteps sounded down the sidewalk and eventually disappeared as he did too.

Yuffie cocked her head to the right. _What did he mean by all that second chance stuff?_ Yuffie thought. Was he speaking from personal experience? She decided then that she could care less about his personal life. It was downright annoying how he had been able to get information out of her without any trouble at all. His way of questioning and weaseling secrets out of people was more than a match for a defense attorney.

After another fifteen minutes of silent brooding, she was running again. Except this time, she wasn't running away from those who were trying to help her.

* * *

_Revised 08/20/2010_


	6. Survival of the Fittest part 1

**_A/N: You all must thank Vulpes Lapis for this chapter. Bribery in its best form. Chapters should hopefully be more frequent. Why, you ask? Well, I injured my knee playing soccer, which means I get to sit out most of the season. sighs and I was a starting center midfield this year too. Oh, and as for my grades, I somehow managed to pull through with a 4.0. Don't ask me how, considering I haven't even turned in half of my homework assignments. Someone up there must really like me. Disaster has been avoided once again! Then this will all happen again in January…midterms! squeaks You know what's really funny? I can write a fanfic, but I can't write a short story for English class. _**

****

****

****

**_Vulpes Lapis: you know, if I wasn't completely bored (crutches are not fun, especially when you have a two story house…) and unable to go downstairs and pig out or something, I probably wouldn't even be writing this. But then again…new fic=something to read online while I'm bored. Just like now._**

"dialogue"

_thoughts/emphasis_

**_[Author's notes]_**

**flashback/dreams******

**_DISCLAIMER: Dammit, I don't own either Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy. Leave me alone before I attack you with my crutches!_**

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Life, or Something Like It

Chapter Six: Survival of the Fittest

:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:

Yuffie vaguely wondered just why she had agreed to this. She could've flat out refused to agree to their madness. She could've been taken back to Riku and Sora. But no. She had to be polite and agree. Yuffie toyed with the tie around her neck. It was horribly uncomfortable. And she was supposed to wear this skirt when it was below thirty outside? _Whoever designed these skirts must've been perverts_, Yuffie thought with a sigh. A uniform. Yuffie Kisaragi, who was never even seen in a skirt, much less anything remotely…formal, was wearing a uniform and going to a Catholic school. 

            What was the reason she agreed to this again?

            **"It's either a Catholic school or an all-girl boarding school in ****England****," Cloud had told her flatly.**

            Ah. Yuffie scowled at her reflection. White cotton button down shirt, navy blue tie, short, pleated skirt, white knee socks, black loafers…she could almost hear Sora's uncontrollable laughter and Riku's snide remarks. She sighed. She missed them dearly. Yuffie trudged over to her bed and flopped down on it. Yuffie sighed and tugged unnecessarily at her hair. It was still damp from her shower. What was wrong with her? She was finally leading a normal life, and all she could do was scowl. _Well, I didn't know that a normal life meant life without Riku or Sora,_ Yuffie thought, sitting up. She glanced at the now framed picture of herself, Sora, and Riku. Sora could be thoughtful when he wanted to be, Yuffie decided. And this gift proved it. She couldn't help but smile back at the picture. She remembered how they came to be Siamese triplets…

            **"All you do is let go of the balloon when I say three," a little boy with silvery tresses and striking aqua eyes instructed. He appeared to be about six years old. "Then," he said emphatically, "we run."**

**            The five year old brown haired boy beside him frowned. "Isn't that gonna make him mad?" he asked, glancing at his friend with wide ocean blue eyes, his bottom lip caught between his teeth in worry. **

**            Riku huffed. "He ripped up your teddy bear didn't he? And," he continued, "he broke my car," he concluded, as if that fact settled everything. "Ansem deserves it. He didn't even say sorry."**

**            "If you drop the balloon, you'll end up being sorry," another voice spoke up.**

**            "Who're you?" Riku demanded, putting his hands on his hips, almost dropping his balloon of water.**

**            "A girl," Sora acknowledged disdainfully, almost making the word "girl" sound like an insult.**

**            "Name's Yuffie," the short girl answered before adding proudly, "the Greatest Female Ninja!"**

**            Riku blinked. "You're no ninja. You're a little girl."**

**            Yuffie swelled with anger. "Little?!"**

**            "How old are you?" Sora asked. "Four?"**

**            "Four?! I'm seven and a quarter!" Yuffie said indignantly, puffing out her chest.**

**            Riku snickered. This girl was almost as short as a ****Chihuahua****. "You? Seven?"**

**            "Seven _and a quarter," Yuffie repeated. "Stop laughing! It's not funny."_**

**            "You're still no ninja," Riku decided.**

**            "Oh yeah? Watch this!" Yuffie got into a martial arts stance.**

**            "What? I can stand on my tippy-toes and make funny noises too," Sora said, imitating Yuffie.**

**            "Hiiii—YAH!" Yuffie exclaimed as she karate chopped Sora's arm. Sora howled and clutched his arm, rubbing the area where she had made contact.**

**            And, unfortunately, he also let go of the water balloon.**

**            SPLAT.**

**            Riku, Yuffie and Sora exchanged bewildered glances. Riku glared at Sora, who sheepishly murmured, "Oops." Three, two…one.**

**            "Goddammit!"**

**            The three scampered off at top speed, stifling their laughter and failing miserably. "I'm Sora," the small brunet boy introduced as they flew up a set of stairs. "And he's Riku."**

**            They collapsed moments later on a rug in the Rec Room—Wreck Room, they called it, since almost everything in the room was busted. "So, why were you gonna drop that water balloon in the first place?" Yuffie asked.**

**            "He broke my car," Riku said angrily.**

**            "My teddy, too," Sora added sadly.**

**            "He took my shurkiens," Yuffie offered helpfully, as if to comfort them.**

**            "So we dropped the balloon," Sora finished.**

**            Yuffie laughed. "You call that revenge?"**

**            "Yeah, so?" Riku challenged.**

**            "That's child's play," Yuffie said, sticking her nose up haughtily. "I guess I could give you a few tips…"**

**            And from the plan they hatched, a friendship was born.**

"Yuffie?" Aerith called, knocking on the door. "Are you ready? We're leaving in five!"

            "Okay," Yuffie answered. She slipped on her headband and stood before the mirror one last time. She sighed, pulled on her jacket, and threw a scarf around her neck. For now, this was as good as it was gonna get.

            High school. Two words she'd never wished to hear. She'd seen enough on television how much stress high school put on teenagers. Cliques, drugs, gangs…now that she thought about it, it was almost as if she had never left the orphanage. If this was how high school was, she shouldn't have any trouble at all fitting in.

            Then why the hell did she feel as if she were about to faint?

            "You're going to love this school," Aerith told her, stepping on the brakes to meet the school zone speed. "You'll learn a lot, meet new friends…"

            Yuffie stared out the passenger's side window. "Uh huh. How am I getting home?"

            "Squall's going to pick you up and drop you off at the hospital, where you can around until my shift is over. Then we'll go home for dinner."

            "Fun." Yuffie was glad that she had a home, and Aerith was a great person to talk to. She had no doubt that Aerith was going to be a great mother. Hell, all Aerith could talk about were kids, but Cloud was too chicken to pop the freaking question after they had been together for practically their entire lives. She dropped the most obvious hints of wanting a commitment nearly everyday at dinner, but God. Yuffie had known men were idiots, but this was just ridiculous. 

            But this family business…it was going to take some time and patience. Room clean, homework complete, dinner together every night unless said otherwise, curfew at eleven P.M. (and nine on weekdays), Church on Sundays, chores, laundry…it was all new, and a bit intimidating. 

            "We're here," Aerith announced, pulling up to a sidewalk where dozens of high school students stood, milling about and conversing with friends. 

            Yuffie grabbed her backpack and gripped it so tightly her knuckles turned white. The butterflies in her stomach turned into a pair of boxing gloves, hammering away at her stomach. Her heart leapt up into her throat as she opened the passenger's side door. "See you later," she said, unable to keep the tremor out of her voice.

            She hurried up to the building, looking at the small map she held in her hands. She studied it and began to walk inside when Aerith called after her, "Have a nice day!"

            Yuffie froze in her tracks. She really hoped that wasn't a sign of more bad things to come. Several kids pointed and laughed loud, taunting chortles. Maybe if she walked away and pretended not to hear, they'd leave her alone…

            "Hey!" a voice called out to her.

            She walked faster. Her cheeks were aflame with embarrassment, and she had no idea where she was going. But she needed a moment to collect herself.

            "Hey, wait up!" the voice persisted.

            Yuffie finally stopped and turned around. "What the hell do you want?"

            The girl before her seemed a little taken aback by the greeting. "Nice to see you too," Kairi answered. Her frown turned into a smile. "Oh my God! What are you doing here?"

            Yuffie shrugged. "Learning?" She was relieved to see a familiar face. Now she knew how Kairi felt when she was lost downtown.

            "Where's Sora?" she asked, trying to seem nonchalant, but failing horribly.

            Yuffie shifted her backpack from one shoulder to the other. She hid a smile and made a mental note to somehow get Sora and Kairi together. "To tell you the truth, I don't know. Someone finally took me in, and here I am."

            "That's great!"

            "I guess…though these skirts don't generate much heat, do they?"

            Kairi laughed. "You get used to it."

            "Though I don't mind these skirts at all," a third voice spoke. "A very nice view, don't you think?"

            "Deidros. Not now. Not ever," Kairi sighed, turning to the boy that spoke. 

            "Now who might you be?" he asked Yuffie. He had gray eyes that reminded her of the autumn sky, and dark curly hair that fell into his eyes. He stood about a head taller than she did, and had a flirtatious glint in his eye. All in all, he wasn't all that bad on they eyes…not that Yuffie was looking, of course.

            "Not interested," Yuffie replied.

"Touché!" Deidros put a hand to his heart and grimaced in mock pain. "What is they name, dear maiden?"

"Yuffie Kisaragi."

"Deidros Jimenez, at your service. DJ for short," he introduced, bowing deeply. "So what grade are you in?"

            "Eleventh."

            "Ah, a high and mighty upperclassman. We mustn't be seen with an underclassman. It's a blow to our ego," Deidros said with a grin, taking Yuffie's arm as he began to lead her away. 

            "So now I'm an underclassman?" Kairi asked, keeping up with Deidros and Yuffie. "I thought you actually cared," she added sarcastically.

            "And I thought this was a love-hate relationship."

            "You're impossible."

            Yuffie let her mind drift off as she looked around. A petite girl with hazel eyes and a waterfall of glossy blonde hair sat on a bench, poring over some text on elements. Yuffie noticed that everyone seemed to keep their distance from the girl, but the girl didn't seem the least bit bothered. In fact, she seemed to enjoy her isolated peace. "Hey, who's that?" Yuffie asked, nudging Kairi in the ribs. 

            Kairi looked in the direction Yuffie was pointing. "Oh. I don't know her real name. Everyone calls her Akurei."

            Yuffie frowned. "They call her Akurei? That translates to evil in Japanese."

            "They say she worships the devil," Deidros added.

            "At a Catholic school?" Yuffie asked skeptically.

            Kairi shrugged. "You never know."

            "So why doesn't anyone ask?"

            "I'm sure that'll be a lovely conversation. 'Hi there. Me and my friends were wondering, do you praise Satan?'" Deidros said, rolling his eyes.

            Yuffie narrowed her eyes at him and said, "It beats just sitting here talking about something we don't know."

            The first bell sounded, and the students began to file into the halls. "That's the homeroom bell," Deidros said unnecessarily. He held out an arm to Yuffie. "Shall I escort the young maiden to the principal's office?"

            "Still not interested," Yuffie said before walking off, leaving Deidros to jog after her.

            Tifa Lockheart had always enjoyed chemistry as a high school student. It reminded her of her bartending job. Mixing vodka with the right amount of vinegar **_[A/N: Question: do you mix vodka with vinegar? ^_^; considering I'm still under the drinking age…I wouldn't know…well, it tastes like vinegar, doesn't it? Not that I've tasted it, of course :P]_, setting the Bunsen burner on while spooning and stirring the chemicals…when she'd accepted the job of becoming a substitute chemistry teacher, she hadn't realized just how immature juniors could be. Or just how little control they held over their hormones.**

            She sighed when she'd realized that no one was listening to her directions. At least when she was bartending, she was put out front to keep the male customers coming back for more…beer, that is. But being a teacher at a Catholic school was a different story. Her job was teach and keep her students' attention…on chemistry. Unfortunately, the boys in her class were focused on other things. Dammit, she wasn't a centerpiece on the Thanksgiving table!

            The door swung open and Deidros swaggered in, followed by a girl. He grinned doggishly when he saw the teacher. "Good morning, Miss Lockheart," he greeted, bowing slightly.

            Tifa sighed again. "What's your excuse this time?" She'd had the displeasure of subbing for the chemistry teacher more times than she would've like to. But, it was something to do…

            "I am," the girl spoke. "Deidros showed me around," she continued, handing a slip of paper to Tifa. 

            "Yuffie Kisaragi…" Tifa frowned as she pronounced the name. It seemed so easy to say, natural on her tongue. "Have I known you before?"

            Yuffie looked strangely at her teacher. "I don't think so…" Really, and people thought _she_ was a loony?

            "You look vaguely familiar."

            Shrug. "I'm not from around here."

            Tifa scrutinized the girl once more before clapping her hands. She shrugged off the strange feeling to think about it later. "Class, settle down! We have a new student joining us today from…?"

            "Brooklyn," Yuffie answered.

            "This is Yuffie Kisaragi."

            Yuffie gave a small smile and shifted uncomfortably. "Hi." She looked around at the twenty or so students who sat before her. They seemed friendly enough. Sure, there were a few snotty cheerleaders about, but nothing she couldn't handle. She felt a pair of eyes boring into her and looked up to see the girl referred to as Akurei sitting in the back of the classroom. And for once she wasn't hunched over some text book, Yuffie noted.

            "Yuffie, today you can partner up with…Rae."

            Yuffie moved towards an Asian girl in the middle row. 

            "No, no. Rae. In the back. The blonde."

            Realization and dread painfully set in her stomach. Akurei. She was lab partners with a Goth. Yuffie tried so hard not to appear disappointed, but failed miserably. Great. As if her social status as the new kid wasn't low enough, now she was paired up with the devil. It seemed that fate had chosen yet another chew toy by the name of Yuffie Kisaragi. 

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TBC

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**_A/N: Bleh. Not my best chapter. But damn. I must be doing something right to be getting all these reviews! I hadn't realized that I had so many reviews! wipes away a tear Thank you all so much! I SWEAR I'll respond to all the reviews sometime…really, I will. I honestly can't focus now. My knee is freaking killing me…and of course, I should be at practice now. sighs again Next chapter we'll have Yuffie snooping around the hospital and finding yet another person she once knew…more Squall somewhere in there, and probably a bit of S/K. As for the OC Riku's supposed to be paired up with, I was gonna actually steal Vulpes Lapis' OC, but someone else beat me to it, so here I am making my own. Oh, speaking of characters, any FF characters you'd like to see? Reminder, I've only played FF7 and FF10 (which I finally got around to beating last night, considering I had nothing else to do), so if you give me another character from any other game, it'd be nice if you told me a bit about their personality and appearance (hair color, eye color, height, etc). Right…time for a bit of math_**

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**_Reader + new chapter = REVIEW!_**

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**_Aren't I smart?_**

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	7. A Poem and a few words

I know ff.net said not to post Author's notes as chapters, so I'm going to put a poem in here that was written in inspiration of my story (it's sort of in Yuffie perspective, I guess).

_I Am Nothing_

_Nothing_

_I am nothing in this world of everything_

_For what is loyalty?_

_When everyone will turn on you when you least expect it?_

_What is happiness?_

_When despair lurks around every corner?_

_What is peace?_

_When I am surrounded by the echo of murder?_

_What is light?_

_When the darkness has dulled our eyes?_

_What is empathy?_

_When hatred is all you have left to feel?_

_You see, I am all these things,_

_But in this world,_

_Despair, murder, darkness and hatred are everything._

_All that I am and have come to believe_

_Is a lie I've been told_

_To keep others like me deceived._

_A lie designed to protect me,_

_To keep my face to the sunshine._

_The sun has finally set,_

_Casting shadows upon these lies of mine._

_All these lies now mean nothing,_

_Just like me,_

_In this world of everything._

Right, on to what I have to say…Updates haven't been frequent, although I said they would be. And please, lower your pitchforks; I do have an excuse, though I'm not very happy about this excuse. Akurei is based on a person I actually know. My best friend, truth be told. Over Thanksgiving break, she was killed in a hit and run. She was walking home after we'd had a movie marathon at my house and was hit by a drunk driver. I've tried to write chapters just to get my mind off it, but I couldn't write without bursting into tears. So I tried making another OC, and it didn't work. So for now, I'm stuck. I'll have some kind of chapter up over Christmas break. Oh, and about that poem…wasn't even written by me. I'm not one for poetry. This poem is copyrighted to Raine. 

R.I.P. Raine


	8. Survival of the Fittest part 2

**_[A/N: Thank you all for your kind words. I can't express how much gratitude I hold in my heart for your consolations and words of comfort. I know things like this happen, but I would never think it'd happen to me. Though I know Raine is in a better place, it doesn't make up for the thirteen years of friendship we had._**

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**_Anyhow, before I start a eulogy, I'm gonna recap what's going on. Yuffie's paired up with the person she'd been trying to avoid for chemistry. More Yuffie/Squall interaction, we find out a bit of Squall's past, and the plot thickens…muhahaha! It's practically two in the morning as I finish this, so I'd better get some reviews…*grumbles*]_**

"speech"

_thoughts/emphasis___

**flashback/dream******

**_[Author's Notes]_**

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Life, or Something Like It

Chapter Seven: Survival of the Fittest Part (con.)

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            Yuffie doodled in her notebook, still silently fuming over her lab partner. She was sick of the sympathy looks people gave her. Maybe deep down, Akurei, or Rae, as the teacher called her, was a good person. Yuffie glanced at the girl beside her. _Yeah right._ Akurei seemed to give off a prestigious, snotty arrogance. She had a notebook and pen laid out before her, but she didn't touch either one. She listened intently and sat up straight, unlike the rest of the class. Everyone seemed to be staring at the clock. Even the boys weren't staring at their teacher anymore. 

            "Well, since we have a little time left, why don't you start on your assignment?" Tifa suggested. The class was getting restless, and to tell the truth, so was she. And to think it was only first period…

            A frustrated growl escaped Yuffie's lips. Chemistry was for a bunch of nerds who spent their Friday nights watching documentaries on the Discovery Channel. "The least you could do is help out," Yuffie stated flatly, shooting Akurei annoyed glances. She gave up after ten minutes of trying to find the correct chemicals. "Especially if you plan on passing this class."

            Akurei didn't respond immediately. After what sounded like a mixture of a groan and a sigh, she picked up a vial with an amber colored substance. Carefully, she poured a small amount into the beaker over the Bunsen burner. With a small poof, the contents of the beaker turned a soft shade of blue. "Hand me the sulfuric acid," Akurei said quietly, yet assertively.

            Yuffie was surprised. _So she can talk_, Yuffie thought as she looked at the two vials on her left. Both held a liquid of the same color. Thinking that both vials held the same chemicals, Yuffie took the one on the right and gave it to Akurei. If only she'd read the label…

            A single drop was all it took to have the chemicals burst into flames. Yuffie stumbled backwards and tripped over her chair. She sat on her butt on the floor staring blankly, unable to comprehend what had gone wrong. _Oh shit, she realized. __Wrong chemical._

            _Very good! she immediately chided herself. _What was your first clue?__

            Tifa wanted to burst into tears. Why did this have to happen while she was teaching? Thinking quickly, she cupped her hands around her mouth and called loudly, "Everybody, out!" While her class made a beeline for the door, Tifa hurried over to the fire extinguisher and broke the glass.

            Yuffie scrambled to her feet and grabbed her bag. She slung it over her shoulder before following the rest of her classmates out the door. Deidros pushed his way through the crowd of students to Yuffie. "What'd you do?" he asked incredulously.

            "I don't know!" Yuffie said, beginning to panic. "It's not like I even _meant to set the lab on fire! I mean, one minute the whole experiment was going fine, and the next, ka-boom!"_

            "If this isn't going to go down in school history, I don't know what will. Blowing up the chemistry lab on your first day is an awesome welcome, don't you think?" 

            Yuffie's stomach churned. "I can't get in trouble, not on my first day! Aerith's gonna kill me…"

            "Don't worry about it," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "I bet you they won't even find out who did it."

            "I guess you're right."

            "Of course I am."

            She wouldn't get in trouble. They'd take it easy on her, since it was her first day, after all. There's no way she'd end up in detention for an accident…

            A firm hand gripped her shoulder and spun her around. "Of course," Deidros added sheepishly before blending into the crowd, "there's a first time for everything, right?" 

Yuffie found herself staring into an angry Tifa's blazing eyes. "I, uh, didn't mean to. It was an accident."

            "What were you thinking, adding this," Tifa held up the now empty vial, "with carbon dioxide?"

            "Um…I wasn't?" Yuffie could almost already hear the words that were about to come out of her teacher's mouth.

            "Principal's office, now!" 

            "It wasn't even all my fault! If my partner had just done her share of the work--"

            "Fine, so the both of you can speak with the principal."

            "But it's my first day," Yuffie argued. She could already hear the lecture Aerith would be giving her, and she could almost see the look of annoyance in Cloud's eyes. "There has to be some rule that I don't get suspended for an accident."

            Tifa gave her a look that plainly said, "I don't know, I just substitute here." After Tifa pointed vigorously in the direction of the principal's office, Akurei admitted defeat and began walking. "But I'm innocent!" Yuffie protested. _For once, she added mentally. Great. Now that she actually was innocent, no one believed her._

            "Dammit," Yuffie muttered, stomping down the hall after Akurei. It was a harmless mistake anyone could have made. _Correction,_ she thought miserably. _It's a mistake only_ I _would make_.

            The B Lunch bell rang and Yuffie couldn't be any happier to make a dash for the lunchroom. Her English and Contemporary Politics classes had been bearable; though they could've been much more pleasant if people hadn't kept asking her about the lab incident. She paid for her lunch and sat at an empty table. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't all that hungry anymore.

            "Yuffie!"

            She lifted her head wearily to see Kairi marching over to her. As soon as Kairi reached the table, she started firing questions. Yuffie opened her mouth to fend the questions off, but Kairi spoke first.

            "What the hell have you done to get yourself into trouble before B Lunch?"

            Yuffie smiled. It was funny to see people's reactions to the mischief she had accidentally caused. Some laughed, others shook their heads in awe. Kairi was somewhere in between the two. "Blew up the chemistry lab and managed to land myself with three days of detention."

            "You are definitely something else."

            "That's one way of putting it."

            "Well, at least everyone knows who you are now. You're the talk of the school."

            Yuffie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She wasn't here to become popular. She was only here because she'd rather stay in the United States. "Rumors galore."

            "Well, at least they're talking." Kairi shrugged and unwrapped the sandwich she bought earlier.

            Yuffie poked at her food. She took a small bight and grimaced. This was supposed to be edible? Maybe she was better off at the orphanage…she put down her fork and asked, "So when do I get to meet those friends of yours who happened to leave you behind in Brooklyn?"

            Kairi stopped in mid-bite and put her sandwich down. Her smile faltered then faded. "There was an accident that night. They'd been drunk after the party. Deidros was the only one wearing his seatbelt."

            "Oh, I'm so sorry," Yuffie said, cringing at the uselessness of her words. She knew pity was something Kairi didn't need nor want right now. 

            "Don't be. I'll be fine."

            Even though she knew Kairi wouldn't ever be truly fine, Yuffie accepted the answer and continued to poke at her lunch. _I wonder what else I'll mess up before the last bell,_ she wondered.

            3:30 couldn't come soon enough. She was out of the gym in a split second. Detention was agonizingly slow and painful. Scrubbing the gym floor with a toothbrush was the kind of thing that you only saw on TV, or so she thought. Her back ached from being hunched over, her fingers were sore from gripping the toothbrush so tightly, she smelled like Lysol, and to top it off, that Akurei girl just wasn't getting the hint. Yuffie was not a happy camper. _When was the last time I was?_ she thought as Akurei continued to call her name, trying to get her to stop.

            "Yuffie!"

            Yuffie stopped and slowly turned around. "Whaaaat?!" she exclaimed exasperatedly. "So _now you want to talk? You could've helped me out instead of acting like a snot and letting me do all the work when I obviously didn't have a single clue about what we were doing! But no, after detention, when I'm trying to get away from yo--"_

            Akurei seemed unfazed at her words. She interrupted Yuffie and pushed something into her hands. "You forgot this. Thought you'd want it back."

            _Great, now she thinks I'm an ass, Yuffie thought with a sigh. "Look, I'm sor--"_

But Akurei had already brushed passed, hugging her books to her chest. When she wasn't reading some text, Yuffie noticed, Akurei could be classified as a normal teen. One might even say she was pretty. Before she could catch herself, Yuffie blurted, "Do you worship the devil?" _Even better, first you make an ass of yourself, and then you sound stupid._

            Akurei paused. "Buddhism is a religion, just like Catholicism."

            Yuffie blinked. "Buddhism?"

             "My step father got me and my mother to convert when I was seven."

            "Why don't you go to a school--"

            "They've been shut down. No one wants their kids to attend Buddhist schools anymore, not after 9/11." With that, she disappeared down the hall.

            Yuffie sighed. If she was going to be attending school here, she'd make it bearable. First by apologizing to Akurei and coming to a truce with her so they didn't botch another experiment.

            "What happened to you?" Squall asked as Yuffie climbed into the car. "I've been waiting for an hour."

            "I really, really, really don't wanna talk about it," Yuffie muttered, slamming the door.

            "Detention?"

            "For a simple mistake anyone could've made," Yuffie said defensively.

            "And that mistake would be…?"

            "Accidentally setting the lab on fire."

            "How--"

            "Chemistry."

            Squall backed out of the parking lot and put the car into drive. "Ah. You know, I don't think mankind and chemicals should ever join forces. I mean look what happened with the atomic bomb."

            Yuffie looked at him with a coy grin. "So you failed Chemistry too in high school?"

            "Scraped by with a C. But things will get better."

            "How can you be so optimistic?"

            "How can you be so pessimistic?"

            "I'd like to see you live in my shoes and not be pessimistic. It isn't possible."

            "With your attitude it isn't."

            Yuffie fell silent and rest her head against the window. Out of the corner of her eye she studied the man sitting beside her. He was much younger than she'd suspected. He appeared to be in his mid twenties. His sapphire eyes were content, but held a guarded expression, as if they were hiding some dark past within them. Longish brown hair framed his face and touched his broad shoulders. The most intriguing feature was the thin scar that started just below his hairline. It darted diagonally towards his eye and stopped just as abruptly as it'd started.

            "Like what you see?"

            He'd been aware of her staring, she realized. Her face colored and darkened her cheeks. "Not particularly," she answered nonchalantly, turning her face to the window once more.

            Squall cast a curious glance at Yuffie. He could've sworn he'd known the girl from somewhere else. Her petite frame and her eyes struck a sense of familiarity within him. "How's living with Aerith and Cloud?"

            "Fine, I guess."

            "Anyone ever tell you that you're quiet?"

            "Actually, no. I usually can't shut up."

            "So why the long face?"

            Yuffie hesitated. "You're a shrink, right?"

            "Yep."

            "So you can't tell anyone what I tell you, right?"

            "That's right."

            "Otherwise I can come after you with the intention of killing you?"

            "Yes."

            "School sucks." The words came tumbling out of her mouth. To her surprise, she began going into detail about her day at school. From the explosion to Kairi to detention, she found that a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. What more, Squall actually listen to her, occasionally asking a few concerned questions, which made her feel cared for._ Cared for…wanted…trust. Yuffie found that trust could be made as easily as is could be broken._

            "Right. Stay out of trouble and in the waiting room or cafeteria. Please try not to come in, my patients are entitled to their right of privacy," Squall instructed as he shuffled some papers on his desk. "Got it?"

            "Crystal." Yuffie looked around his office. It was simple, neat, and annoyingly organized, she noticed. A photo caught her eye. A beautiful girl with shiny ebony chair and sparkling eyes stood beside a younger Squall. She also noticed that Squall was smiling and didn't have his trademark scar. "Why don't you smile anymore?" Yuffie wondered aloud. "You don't look half as ugly in this picture."

            Ignoring the insult veiled by a question, Squall shrugged. "I've found other ways of expressing my happiness." Yuffie frowned and understood the true meaning of his words, "I've found other masks to wear."         

            "So who's the girl?" Yuffie pressed, winking at him. "Were you guys serious?"

            Squall stiffened ever so slightly, Yuffie didn't catch it. "Rinoa, once my girlfriend."

            "What happened?"

            "We don't talk anymore."

            "Why not?"

            "I don't know, we drifted apart."

            Yuffie could tell that he was becoming annoyed, though he hid it very well. She could also tell that he was lying. "Anyways, I've got homework to get started on." She turned and walked to the door. "Sorry if those questions made you uncomfortable. You could've told me and refused to answer them."

            Squall watched as the door shut. That line sounded awfully familiar, he noted. With a good education, the girl could become a psychiatrist herself. She was much more perceptive than he'd thought.

            Yuffie ran. Again. She honestly didn't mean to steal from the gift shop. It was a habit she'd picked up from the orphanage. So she ran, thinking it'd be easier than to explain the truth. But the truth was that she didn't know that this guy could keep up with her. Yuffie rounded a corner and slipped into an empty room. She shut the door and let out a sigh of relief as she heard the man's footsteps fade away. Safe, for now. Yuffie walked forward to further examine the room. She pulled back a curtain and gasped. "I'm sorry! I didn't know there was anyone in here…"

            No answer, just a blink of acknowledgement of Yuffie's presence. The woman lay sprawled across the hospital bed, staring back at Yuffie.

            "Sorry. Um, I guess I'll go now…"

            Another blink. Yuffie thought hard for a moment. These eyes are familiar she realized. Where had she seen them?

         **The boy rushed forward to help the child, but a scream from behind him caused him to whip his head around. A female his age, was cowering in a corner. Her eyes were wide with shock and terror. She desperately fought to slow her pounding heart, but to no avail.**

**         "Run!" he instructed, turning back to the little girl. "I'll take care of the monster."**

**         The little girl looked up at him through her tearful eyes. "I don't want to be alone again," she whispered.**

**         "Go!" he insisted. "If you don't, they'll get you too. Head down to the Waterway. There are some Gummi ships waiting to take off. Hurry or they'll leave without you."**

            **The girl whimpered softly as she watched him start over to save the other girl, wishing the older boy would come to her rescue instead. **

"You!" Yuffie realized. "You were the girl in my dreams!" Yuffie thought for a moment before realizing the stupidity of her words. "I mean, you were the one that was saved instead of me when Hollow Bastion was taken…why were you saved instead of me?" _Unless_…then it dawned on her. "The boy from my dreams is Squall."

TBC

A/N: Finally, Yuffie is starting to get a clue of what's going on here. Next chapter, Yuffie will finally end up living with Squall. How you ask? It's all apart of my master plan…I've got practically the rest of the story outlined. cheers But outlined and written are two very different things…shouldn't be anymore than 10 chapters. I know I'd said 12, but I decided to give you guys longer chapters to make up for my absence. 


	9. Change Isn't Always Such a Bad Thing

**_A/N: Please…don't hurt me…-raises hands in defense- Life's been a bit hectic lately, with going back to school and whatnot. And for future reference: "Outlined" and "Written" are two very different things. Outlined means it's basically just a list of what's gonna happen. Then I have to go back and add in details, dialogue, actual sentences…And besides, believe it or not, I do have a life outside of fanfiction (scary, I know. Gives you shivers just thinking about it). Plus there are other things (soccer, track, keeping my grades intact, writer's block, and stupid little brothers) that happen to get in the way sometimes. _**

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**_…now that I'm done with my sob story, I'll start the damn chapter now with a nifty disclaimer. Oh joy._**

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**_DISCLAIMER: You know, I love these things. It keeps the stupid people from harming innocent people like me. Like I own Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy and still live in suburban _****_South Florida_****_. Stupidity will be the death of us all…Go ahead, sue. I dare ya! Sue all you want, and all you'll get is pocket lint! _**

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_Thoughts/emphasis_

**Flashbacks**

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**_[Author's Notes]_**

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_"You!"__ Yuffie realized. "You were the girl in my dreams!" Yuffie thought for a moment before realizing the stupidity of her words. "I mean, you were the one that was saved instead of me when Hollow Bastion was taken…why were you saved instead of me?" Unless…then it dawned on her. "The boy from my dreams is Squall."_

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Life, or Something Like It

Chapter 8: Change Isn't Always a Bad Thing

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"Lately, I've been feeling down and depressed, especially now that the holidays are coming. This year will be the first Christmas without my wife and kids, and it doesn't feel right to visit them just yet…" a balding man in his forties finished with a sigh, twiddling with his fingers.

_Earth to Squall.__ Come in, Squall, do you copy? Squall gave himself a mental shake, brought his fingertips together, and propped his hands on his desk as his patient paused. He mentally berated himself for letting his mind wander and asked, "Really? How do you feel about that?" _

The man stared. "Depressed…" 

Squall cringed. "Sorry, trick question. Go on." He nodded occasionally and jotted down some notes. He was vaguely aware of what he was doing, but was so out of it for some reason. He couldn't seem to focus on his patient. In a corner of his mind, Squall was trying to recall where he'd seen Yuffie before. 

Two people ran past the closed door of his office, leaving an echo of footsteps in their wake. What the…? Squall didn't have to say these words as the door opened to reveal Vincent standing in the doorway. "What the hell is going on?"

            Squall sighed. "Would you mind coming back--?"

            "That girl you brought is running across the psychiatric ward. I think you might want to track her down before you're fired," Vincent said flatly. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms folded. From the way Squall closed his eyes, Vincent could tell that he was counting to ten to keep his temper in check.

            "Listen, I'm afraid I have to run. We'll cut this session short and extend your next one. Vincent here will schedule your next session," Squall said to his patient, who nodded dumbly, unaware of what was going on. 

            Didn't he tell her to stay in the cafeteria and not get in trouble? Squall went in the direction where he'd heard the footsteps and shoved his hands into his pockets. He was going to lose his job if the psychiatric ward found out that he was the one that brought Yuffie, though that wasn't the only thing on his mind. Why had he lied to Yuffie about Rinoa? Sure, it wasn't any of her business, but he didn't know it'd hurt so much when she picked up that picture frame. He'd thought that he was completely over it, over her. 

            He found his feet carrying him to Rinoa's hospital room. He hadn't been to her room for years, and decided that it was time for a visit.

            But Squall couldn't be that boy from all those years ago. He couldn't be. Wouldn't he recognize her? But it would make sense. This woman was the girl then in that picture with Squall, and it would make sense that her boyfriend, came to her rescue. Yuffie desperately tried to remember anything that would help clear her memory. "R-Rinoa?"

            The woman's eyes brightened with recognition. 

            "Do you…do you remember--"

            Yuffie was cut off as the door creaked open. She spun around to come face to face with a pissed off Squall. "First you run through the hospital causing trouble and now you're disturbing a patient?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

            Yuffie cringed. She could deal with yelling adults, but this was a new level of anger she rarely came into contact with. "It's not like that--"

            "So what is it like?"

            "I accidentally took something from the gift shop and the guy chased me into this room." She paused. "Squall, do you…"

            "What?"

            "This is Rinoa, isn't it?"

            "Yes, and your point is?"

            "You saved her from those shadow creatures that invaded your world, Hollow Bastion, didn't you?"

            Squall looked at Rinoa and then back at Yuffie. "Where are you going with this?" he asked. Was she from Hollow Bastion too?

            Yuffie looked down at the woman on the bed. Her eyes…they seemed empty, lacking the life of a living human being. "What happened to her?"

            "It's really strange…" Squall said, cupping his chin in his hand. "Those shadow creatures you were talking about did something to her…she lost her heart. She's been like this for years. She's still breathing, and she's not exactly brain dead."

            "So why didn't she become a Heartless?"

            "How do you know what they're called?" Squall asked sharply. He was beginning to realize that the sense of familiarity wasn't just a sense after all.

            "Don't you remember a little girl in the chapel?"

            Squall opened his mouth to respond when someone poked their head into the room. "Squall? Aerith called. "Are you in here? Vincent told me you were headed in this direction and that Yuffie was causing some trouble over here." She fell silent when she noticed Yuffie standing beside Squall. Their gazes were locked on one another, and Aerith could feel the tension in the room. "Yuffie, is something wrong?"

            "No," Yuffie answered slowly, directing her gaze to the floor. "Squall was just yelling at me for causing trouble."

            Aerith looked at Squall, who still hadn't said a word. She supposed he was thinking of Rinoa, the way he looked at the woman who would probably never say his name again. "Well, I guess we should be heading home, Yuffie."

            Yuffie stole a glance at Squall before moving towards the door. From the way he'd reacted, maybe he didn't remember at all. Maybe it was all just a dream. Or maybe her memories were a bit jumbled. Or she wanted so desperately to believe that she knew Squall from before, because that would mean someone would be able to help her uncover her past.

            But he remembered. He remembered all too well. It all came flooding back to him with Yuffie's last question, "Don't you remember a little girl in the chapel?" It undid him. Not being able to protect his family, friends, or even his girlfriend…he couldn't even help the little girl who had pleaded, begged, for his help. He had held a powerful weapon in his hands, but he was too weak to use it. He was just too weak.

            "Home at last!" Aerith announced, pulling up the driveway. Yuffie's mind was still running in circles. Maybe she was going crazy. Maybe she already was crazy. _Too many maybes, and not enough answers, she thought, getting out of the car. _

            "What's for dinner?" Yuffie asked, hoping to get her mind off Squall just for a minute. 

            Aerith pulled her house keys out of her purse as they walked up the path that led to the house. "I don't know, maybe we could order something." A frown creased her forehead. "Funny, I don't remember leaving the door unlocked."

            Yuffie bent to the door knob and studied it. Her stomach fell at what she saw. "You didn't."

            "What?"

            "See those scratch marks?"

            Aerith clasped a hand over her mouth. "You mean…?"

            "Someone broke in, and didn't bother to clean up," Yuffie answered. She'd pick pocketed enough to know the signs of a break in.

            "Get back in the car. We can't stay here. Someone still might be inside," Aerith said worriedly.

            "Hold on, I wanna grab a few stuff. Besides, the most they can do is shoot us." Yuffie sighed as Aerith's face paled. _Ok, so maybe that wasn't the most comforting thing in the world to say. _

            Aerith  took a deep breath. "All right…grab some clothes and your uniform. We might be staying the night somewhere else for the police to do some investigation."

            Yuffie walked into the house first. The living room looked like it hadn't been disturbed at all. Neither did her room, Aerith noted. Her jewelry remained, along with her important papers. In fact, her room had been untouched. She threw a few uniforms for work and two dresses along with other necessities into a duffel bag. She prepared a suitcase for Cloud too, and lugged the bags into the living room. "Yuffie? Are you finished?"

            A strangled moan answered her.

            Aerith dropped the bags and ran into Yuffie's room. "Yuffie!" She found the girl standing in the middle of her room, head down, shoulders heaving with sobs. Her dresser mirror lay around her in a thousand pieces, and a piece of paper was nailed to the wall where her mirror once hung with a knife. Two words were scrawled across the paper in a messy script.

            _I'm watching._

            Yuffie didn't know how she made it into the car. She didn't know how long they were driving. She didn't remember Aerith hugging her and shushing her sobs.  For the first time, Yuffie was glad she didn't remember.

            Squall fished around in his pocket for his house keys. His mind was running in circles. How did Yuffie know all that? Was she from his world too? That would explain why she looked so familiar, but for some reason, a part of him just didn't want to believe it…otherwise it would mean she was another person he couldn't protect.

            He opened his door and walked inside. He placed his briefcase and folders on his desk and grimaced. He was going to be buried in paperwork_. Home sweet home, he thought darkly. Squall trudged to his room and threw himself onto his bed. _If only could just unplug my brain so I could sleep_, he thought with a sigh. He knew the nightmares that awaited him. He'd suppressed those thoughts for so long, and Yuffie had let them loose with her single question._

            His gaze fell upon his closet, where the skeletons of his past lay buried deep in a corner. Squall brought himself to his feet and searched through his closet. _Where is it, where is it…Beneath some clothing, he found a cardboard box and a long leather case. Carefully, with slightly trembling hands, he removed the sword from its case. A classic Gunblade, designed for power and murder if used properly. It had more power than he could control…Squall tightened his fingers around the hilt, and slowly, he began to remember…_

            **Squall pushed his bangs out of his eyes. He heaved the weapon up to rest on his shoulder. His knees nearly sagged underneath the weight, but he steadied himself. The castle was in chaos, and he couldn't find anyone. His family, Rinoa, Cloud…it was almost as if they had disappeared. Squall's heart sank at the thought. _They probably made it somewhere safe and were waiting for him, he thought. But he wouldn't leave until he made sure that Rinoa wasn't still in the chapel, knowing that she spent a lot of time there. _**

**He ran up a flight of stairs and through the Lift Stop. His booted feet echoed as he ran into the gothic chapel, a dim light illuminating the images of the stained glass. Squall's heart dropped into his stomach when he didn't see her. He walked forward to venture further into the chapel.**

**            "Please, help me," a soft voice pleaded.**

**            Squall turned to see a small girl standing a few feet away. He recognized her as the child he'd looked after. He'd babysat the little girl once as a favor to Rinoa, and the little girl wouldn't stop following him since. Squall rushed forward towards her, when another scream erupted from the other side of the chapel. _Rinoa!  A group of monsters surrounded her. "Run!" he said to the girl. "I'll take care of the monster."_**

**         The little girl looked up at him through her tearful eyes. With a shuddery breath, she hurriedly said, "I don't want to be alone again."**

**         "Go!" he insisted. "If you don't, they'll get you too. Head down to the Waterway. There are some Gummi ships waiting to take off. Hurry or they'll leave without you." Not waiting for an answer, he charged into battle, Gunblade held poised and ready to attack.**

**         There were shadows everywhere. He couldn't fight them off. There were just too many…he could hear screaming echoing in his mind, whether it was his own or Rinoa's he didn't know. He saw Rinoa falling, eyes wide with an indescribable fear. Squall finally realized that he too was falling, and prepared to meet the ground when someone hauled him to his feet.**

**         "Squall!" **

**         He managed to open his eyes. Cid, the man that was known around the castle as the Space Man because of his crazy idea to invent inter-world travel, dragged him away. "R-Rinoa," Squall said, hating how weak he sounded.**

**         "I've got her," a voice came from behind them. Seifer held an unconscious Rinoa in his arms, glaring at Squall. Though Seifer didn't say anything, Squall could clearly read his expression: _You're too weak to defend yourself, if that scar I gave you is any reminder. If you can't protect yourself, how are you going to protect someone else?_**

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**         "You'll be okay, kid," Cid said gruffly. "What the hell were you doing up thereHis vision grew hazy at the edges, and his feet weren't cooperating properly as Cid dragged him along. He looked once more at Rinoa, whose eyes had turned empty. _I tried, he thought. Squall let the darkness claim him, and thought no more._**

**         The weapon hit the floor with a clatter, and he slowly sunk to his knees beside the box. No wonder he'd kept these emotions suppressed. Squall opened the box, and removed an old leather photo album. Hollow Bastion and its beauty would never leave his memory, he thought as he looked at a photo of the majestic castle. Neither would the day such a magnificent structure fell to the hands of darkness…**

         He flipped a few pages, and the first picture he saw was of him and Seifer in defensive stances. He'd never liked Seifer. Sure, he was one hell of a fighter, but his dislike for Seifer turned into a full fledged hate after the disappearance of Hollow Bastion. Next picture was of him and Cloud sparring. Squall remembered the days they constantly challenged each other, trying to prove whether SeeD or SOLDIER was the better training program. A wistful smile crossed his face as he came across a picture of Rinoa. Quickly he turned the page and nearly jumped out of his skin when his doorbell rang. 

         With a slight frown, Squall put down the album and headed for the door. "Aerith? What's up?" he added, seeing the shaken up state that his friend was in. He moved aside and let her in along with a stoic Yuffie.

         Aerith sat on the couch and clasped her hands firmly to keep them from trembling. "Somebody's broken into our house," Aerith explained. "And whoever it was is after Yuffie."

         "Who?"

         "The police are trying to figure that out. Could you watch after Yuffie--?"

         "I'm not a baby," Yuffie cut in, speaking for the first time in a long time, her voice calm and monotone. "I'll be fine on my own. I don't need to put anyone else in danger, all right? I can deal with this."

         "You're still a kid. Legally, you're Aerith's. Until you receive a yearly salary and finish school, whatever she or Cloud says goes," Squall finished firmly. "Where are you and Cloud staying?" he asked, turning to Aerith.

         "Tifa's. I'd take Yuffie with us, but you know how small her apartment is."

         "It's fine. Does Cloud know?"

         "He probably does by now." Aerith slumped down in her chair. "I didn't think raising a teenager would be this stressful."

         "It isn't, but it's not everyday you find a kid on the run from a psycho," Yuffie commented with a rueful laugh.

         "I'll take your bags," Squall offered.

         "Nah, I'm fine. Where's my room?" Yuffie asked, observing the apartment.

         "Door at the end."

         "Thanks." Yuffie shoulder her bags and headed to her room. It was nice enough, with a small stereo, full size bed, dresser, vanity, desk, and a few shelves. Just hours earlier, she was worried about how to survive high school. Now…how was she going to survive everyday life, knowing that Ansem was out to get her? She wished Sora and Riku were there to comfort her. She wished…and look where her first wish had gotten her: under lock and key, when she'd been trying to escape in the first place.

         And then there was Squall. Yuffie found herself unexplainably attracted to him after that car ride. She hoped it wouldn't make living with him uncomfortable. They had more things in common that she'd thought before. They were, after all, from the same world. He was also the last thing she remembered before New York. His patience and listening skills also made him easy to trust. She remembered how she had told Squall all about her sucky day at school with barely a second thought.

         It scared her a little though, how quickly she trusted Squall. It took a lot for her to give away trust so easily, and now, with just a fifteen minute car ride, she'd opened up to him. Worst part was, he didn't even have to try. Yuffie tried to silence the question that kept reverberating in her mind, _Would__ he abuse her trust?_

TBC

**_A/N: -insert a collective "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" here- You're probably wonder what the hell is going on. Truth be told, so am I. Well, not really. I know what I'm doing, so please, bear with me and leave any questions in reviews. I'll be glad to answer them as long as you leave your email address. You SHOULDN'T expect another chapter until February, at the rate I'm going. Reviews do inspire me to write more -hint, hint-. I swear I'll finish this before April. -gets pelted with food-. Yes April. As in Spring break when I get to use the computer as long as I want._**

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**_I absolutely hated this chapter. -storms off- Dunno why, but I do. This was the most difficult one to write so far. Yuffie doesn't know that Squall remembers and Squall has no idea how Yuffie remembers. It was sorta difficult to portray that without making the whole chapter really stupid, which I think I managed to do anyways ^ ^;. Oh, and I made a boo boo with the last chapter! You see, the whole Rinoa part wasn't actually supposed to be there. I had two drafts of the last chapter, and I accidentally used the weird one with Rinoa. --Sighs-- I was wondering why you guys were talking about Rinoa in your reviews. So I'll have to make do with the weird chapter. I don't feel like going back and re-uploading and re-editing this chapter, so blah. _**

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**_I have exams tomorrow and Friday, and I guess I should go and open a book. I took some precious time out of studying to post this! So…_**

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**_Ja_****_ ne! ~  QwickSilver_**

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	10. Chained by Memories

**_[A/N: All right, all right. I have an excuse (even though it's not a good one). I've been experimenting in other areas of this site (some of you might have seen me review in the Rurouni Kenshin section) and my muse just wouldn't shut up, so I had to write them down otherwise my muse wouldn't let me update...if you like Rurouni Kenshin, look out for one by me after this one's finished (/shameless advertising) Wait, before I end my advertising spree, if you haven't read any of Deplora's fics ("The Curse" or "The Fear of Being Alone" or her first one whose title I can't remember) go read it NOW!! (well, after mine of course)_**

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**_Please, don't pummel me with old fruit. I've also been busy with service work and my new job.  I was hoping that this would be longer, but it's all I could come up with. Yeah, a month hiatus just to come up with this. Good news though. I've written the last chapter, so I know exactly how it's gonna get there. I think this is the third to last chapter. The next one should have a lot of pivotal events and of course the big finale should soon follow. Eee! Anyway, read on my friend. Oh and I'm sorry for any weird formatting. My computer isn't functioning today...]_**

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**_[DISCLAIMER: Would I be getting only $7.25 an hour if I owned Kingdom Hearts? 'Nuff said.]_**

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Thoughts/Emphasis

"Speech"

**_[Author's Notes]_**

**flashbacks******

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**_^_^ Now happily serving 131+ reviews!_**

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Life or Something Like It

Chapter 9: Chained by Memories

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After Yuffie had left the room, Aerith spoke. "Can't you do something about this?"

            Squall merely raised his eyebrows. "What?" he asked, knowing very well what Aerith was talking about.

            "Watch after her, and do what you do best: ask questions_ and_ get answers."

            He suppressed a sigh. Whenever he wanted to get away from his work, it came running to catch up with him anyway. And Aerith wondered why he was always so caught up in his work, when, in reality, his work was always caught up with _him_. "Let me guess. You want me to give her weekly sessions or something?"

            "Please."

            "I don't know...I mean, she's made it pretty clear that she doesn't want anyone's help. And I don't think she'll like the fact that we all think she's mentally unstable."

            "They don't have to be actual sessions...it can be over dinner, or breakfast, or something." Aerith put her elbows on her knees, and leaned forward with her chin cupped in her hands. "I don't know, I just feel that I have to watch out for her, almost like a babysitter or something."

            Squall couldn't help the small snort that escaped. "Which makes sense...she's from Hollow Bastion," he added when he saw Aerith's confusion.

            "What?" Aerith sat up straight now, puzzled. 

            "She knows about the Heartless, and she recognized Rinoa in the picture on my desk at the office."

            "But...wouldn't she remember? Wouldn't she say something?"

            Squall shrugged impatiently. "Maybe she doesn't remember us, which could explain why she hasn't said anything." He decided not to tell Aerith that she had indeed remembered him. 

            "I guess...I'd better get going though. Cloud's probably already at Tifa's."

            He followed her to the door. "Oh, and Aerith?"

            "Yes?"

            "Take care, okay?"

            Aerith smiled. "Sarcasm suits you much better than concern," she chuckled before closing the door behind her.

            Squall sighed when he remembered that he had a ton of paperwork to do. Not feeling up to the work, he took the opportunity to go check on Yuffie, who hadn't left her room since she'd entered it. He knocked gently on the door and said, "Hey. You still awake?"

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            Yuffie awoke from her stupor. She'd been staring blankly at the wall, immersed in her thoughts. Maybe if she'd said no he would leave her alone. But then she'd have to face him in the morning, when she was grumpy and half asleep. Sighing, she answered, "Yeah." 

            The door opened and Squall poked his head into the room. "You okay?"

            "I've been better."

            "When?" he asked, leaning against the door frame.

            "Like when I wasn't being hunted down by a maniac...and when I didn't remember."

            "So you're unhappy because you remember?"

            "Sort of. I never really thought about it. I mean, I was in the present, the past didn't matter. But now I'm learning that the past is what makes you who you are."

            "But you told me you didn't remember."

            "I don't remember. And I don't know who I am."

            "Cut the crap already."

            Yuffie looked up at his sharp tone. She met his gaze, once patient and understanding, now annoyed and irritated. "What--"

            "For someone who has gone through so much and survived, you complain and whine at every chance you get."

            "Hey!" Her temper flared as she glared indignantly at him. "I do not!"

            "Then shut up and let's have dinner."

            Yuffie got up and resisted the strong urge to knock him silly. So instead, she settled for roughly pushing past him and headed for the kitchen. And just moments ago she'd thought he was attractive and understanding. _What _was_ I thinking?_ She really began to wonder if Aerith had made the right decision, leaving her with Squall. 

            Dinner was an unusually painful event. The tension was so thick in the air, she could almost feel it choking her. Either that, or it was the food, she mused. Yuffie seemed to get the impression he wasn't accustomed to cooking, and rarely did so. So she voiced her thoughts. "How did you manage to burn a TV Dinner?"

            Squall looked at her briefly before replying, "I left it in the oven too long."

            "Which is a problem, seeing as TV dinners are microwavable."

            "Look, I know I'm not much of a cook," Yuffie snorted at this, "but I am constantly working. I don't get the opportunity to cook very often."

            "So maybe you should make opportunity." 

            Squall kept his temper in check. Everyone seemed to be ganging up on him and his profession lately. Either he was putting too much effort, or not enough effort, he couldn't seem to satisfy anyone. "Or maybe _you_ should make dinner if you don't like it."

            "I've tasted better _cardboard_."

            "And my paperweights have made better company."

            "So then why did you take me in if you didn't want me around? After all, aren't I just a constant reminder of your dead girlfriend?" she asked, voice dripping with venom. She wanted him just to get angry and show that she had gotten to him. But she didn't, to her dismay.

            "Yeah, you are a constant reminder of Rinoa," was the calm response. "But a memory is just that: a memory. It was real at some point, but now it's not. I took you in just to remind me of what happened all those years ago and repent."

            "You think taking me in is going to make up for leaving me out to die?" 

            "Partially, but I figured I should save Aerith and Cloud the trouble of trying to make out in bed with you watching."

            "Um, ew. I didn't need to know that. It was a yes or no question."

            Squall gave her a look that clearly said, "You asked." He picked at his food before setting down his fork. "Chinese or pizza?"

            Yuffie let out a sigh of relief. The guy did have some sense after all.

            "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Cid Highwind cautioned, sticking a cigarette between his lips and lighting it. "Those car parts don't come cheap."

            Sora straightened up after practically dropping the box unceremoniously. His back throbbed with a dull ache from the weight he'd been carrying. He knew he should've let Riku take all the heavy stuff. "Sorry," he apologized.

            Riku came into the garage, holding a few boxes. "What's your hurry?" he asked, setting the load down gently.

            "Nothing!" Sora replied a bit too quickly.

            Riku raised an eyebrow, clearly doubting the truth of his friend's words. "Really."

            "Just wanted to skate for a bit, that's all."

            "Do you mind if I tag along? I haven't gone skating for a long time," Riku said, gauging Sora's reaction.

            The box Sora was holding slipped from his hands and made a loud crash as it hit the floor. "Goddammit," Cid cursed. "Obviously since you're not up to working tonight, scram. Be back by ten."

            Sora didn't question it. He grabbed his skateboard and jacket and gratefully took off.

            Cid watched him go. "Hey, kid," Cid said to Riku moments after Sora left. "Follow him, will ya? Make sure he's not running out to do anything illegal."

            Riku brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Sora? Doing anything illegal? You must be kidding. He doesn't even jay walk because it's breaking the law."

            "Eh, follow him anyway."

            "Going..." As Riku set off on his skateboard, a frown creased his forehead. _Just what are you up to Sora?_ His friend was the worst liar in the world. He wore his emotions on his sleeves, which made it horribly easy to find up what he was up to. He knew that from experience...

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            **Ansem came storming into the Wreck Room, drenched and dripping with water. All the kids in the room stared as Ansem rose a shaking finger and demanded, "Which one of you wretched brats did this?"**

**            Yuffie tried to look as innocent as possible, pretending to look shocked that anyone would do such a thing. Riku shrugged and looked as aloof as he could. Sora...was grinning. Yuffie nudged him between the ribs. "Do you want us to get in trouble?!" she hissed.**

**            "But it's funny!" Sora whispered back, just barely containing his giggles.**

**            "It won't be when we get in trouble!" Riku said sharply. "Cut it out."**

**            "I-I can't," Sora replied, shoulders heaving with suppressed laughter. "He looks like a wet sheep dog!"**

**            "Laugh later when we're not about to get in trouble," Yuffie muttered as Ansem came over to them.**

**            His golden eyes searched each of the three. When Ansem's gaze landed on Sora, he jerked a thumb towards Sora and asked, "What's the matter with him?"**

**            "He's um, glad to see that you're not sick!" Yuffie cut in. "In fact, we all are! You might wanna get out of those wet clothes before you do get sick."**

**            Sora's eye twitched. He didn't know how much longer he could hold it in.**

**            Riku could've sworn that the windows shattered with Sora's high-pitched laughter.**

**            Later, when the three had been put to stand in the corners as punishment, Yuffie still heard Sora giggling softly and muttering something about sheep dogs.**

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            Sora pushed himself along at a leisure pace, rolling aimlessly on his skateboard. He knew he should be heading home, but he found his skateboard taking him to Queens-to her house. Sora vaguely wondered if this was the kind of crazy thing love made you do. Stalking people was not only obsessive, he reminded himself, but illegal.

            He couldn't explain it. Thoughts of Kairi just couldn't leave his mind. Ever since the night they met again, he skated to her house and waited for her white picket fence for her bedroom light to flicker off. Then he'd go home, mumble some excuse to Cid, and dream of her. Sora shook his head. If Riku or their new guardian, Cid, ever found out, he'd never hear the end of it. Cid was beginning to suspect something already, Sora realized.

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            There he was, standing outside on the sidewalk and gazing up at her window. She never dared to openly acknowledge his presence. Stolen glances between the curtains alerted her that he was standing out there. Kairi rest her head in her hands, elbows propped on the desk. She stared at her literature book, reading the first act of _Romeo and Juliet_ for drama class; but all her eyes saw was Sora. His brown hair that stuck out in all directions, reflective, blue eyes that came to life with whatever emotion he felt, cheerful smiles that lit up his face.

            Kairi found herself standing by the window, hand poised and ready to pull back the curtains and confront Sora. She was curious as to why he'd stood outside her house for consecutive nights, waiting for her to fall asleep. She decided that she wouldn't allow Sora to leave that night without telling her why he hadn't said anything to her. _Or at least ring my doorbell_, she thought.

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            Sora froze as he saw Kairi's silhouette appear in the window. "Sora?" he heard her call out. "What are you doing here?"

            Sora thought over things to say. _"I'm madly in love with you and I've been standing outside your window for the past nights to satisfy my burning soul."_

Kairi's eyes widened. "What?" she asked, hoping for him to repeat what he'd said.

            _Crap, did I say that out loud?_ Sora thought fearfully. "Um, I...I really don't know." He picked up his board and said, "I'd better go."

            "Sora, wait."

            He turned around. "Yeah?"

            "See you tomorrow night?"

            Sora blinked. So she didn't mind him stalking her? "All right," Sora said uncertainly. "Tomorrow night."

            "And maybe this time you can come inside," Kairi added with a smile.

            Sora nodded and waved back at her. He stayed where he was until she disappeared from his sight. _Suspicious Cid be damned_, he thought. Kairi had actually invited him inside.like.a.a.a date? Sora came to an abrupt stop. A date? He supposed he would have to ask Riku for some girl advice. Sure, he noticed girls, but Kairi was the first girl he _noticed_. The only relationship he'd explored with a girl was the brother-sister relationship he had with Yuffie and Selphie. _Yuffie_. His heart gave a tug at the edges. He hoped that Yuffie was as happy as he was.

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            Riku silently followed Sora. _All this secrecy over a girl?_ He snorted. _Well, well, well,_ he thought. His little Sora was growing up at last. Well, better later than never, he supposed. Though he couldn't help but feel as if he had lost. _Even Sora's found a girlfriend before me,_ he thought. He was told that he was a lady killer, but he never found a girl that suited his tastes. Well, he had, but she happened to be his best friend and uninterested.

            He shook the thought away as quickly as it had come. Riku had difficulty coming to terms with his emotions. He didn't even know what his emotions were. He guessed that he felt this way because he was partly responsible for Yuffie's arrest. He was the one who suggested they go downtown in the first place. Whatever it was he felt, he wished it would leave him alone, just as he had always been and would always be.

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            The next day came a bit quicker than she would've liked, considering it began at a quarter to six. The alarm at her bedside tale went off, rousing her awake. _Funny_, Yuffie thought, instinctively slamming her fist on the snooze button, _I don't remember setting my alarm...wait...I don't even _have_ an alarm!_

            Her eyes snapped open in panic. Where was she? Yuffie sat up abruptly, but calmed down once she recognized her surroundings. She was in her guest room at Squall's place. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep on the couch after having Chinese takeout. A blush came to her cheeks as she imagined Squall carrying her into her room bridal style. Her cheeks flushed an even deeper red as she realized that all she was wearing was her skimpy uniform skirt and tight sleeveless undershirt. Deciding she didn't want to know how she'd lost her shirt, Yuffie swung her legs out of bed and grabbed her towel and a few bath things. As long as she was up, she might as well take an hour long shower.

            To her dismay, the bathroom door was locked. She slammed her fists on the door, hoping that he would hear her over the sound of running water. She soon discovered that it was a lost cause, as she gave up minutes later. Yuffie sighed and trudged down to Squall's room. It was empty. Great. He was a bathroom hog as well as a psychiatrist. _You sure know how to pick them, Yuffie_. "Dammit, now what do I do?" she asked no one in particular. She looked around his bedroom. Annoyingly neat, just like his office, she noted. Black silk sheets..._how fitting. Where's the chain and whips?_ She cringed at the thought. She'd been hanging around Deidros for a little bit _too_ long. 

Yuffie perched herself on the edge of the bed. At his bedside table was a woman she guessed was Squall's mother. He had inherited her deep cobalt eyes. Beside that picture was one of Rinoa and Squall joined by another boy the same age as Squall with sharp green eyes, blond hair, and a smirk that seemed permanent on his face. There was another of a different blond haired boy with cerulean eyes and a girl with hair that came down to her waist.

She picked up the picture to study it better. Her jaw dropped when she recognized the young children in the picture as Aerith and Cloud. She traced the frame with her index finger as she began to remember.... 

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**The brunette girl slowly approached Cloud, unsure of what to say. She smiled sweetly before calling out softly, "Hi, Cloud."**

**The boy stopped swinging the sword around, just like he was trained, and turned to meet the girl. "Aerith.what are you doing here?" he asked, hoisted the weapon onto his shoulder. **

**Aerith shyly looked down at her shoes. "I just thought I'd see how you were doing.you're hardly ever at the castle anymore."**

**Cloud shrugged. "My master's been pretty tough on me about my training," he explained, brushing a strand of hair from his eyes. "I've been improving a lot."**

**"Really?**** Can I see?" **

**            Cloud's cheeks took on a red hue. "Uh, sure, I guess." Nervously, he took up his fighting stance and did just what Sephiroth had showed him. Slash, parry, slash, block, parry. He raised a hand and wiped his brow. "I know it isn't much, but--"**

**            "That was great!"**

**            If possible, Cloud's blush deepened. "Thanks."**

**            Aerith smiled. "Here. You must be thirsty."**

**            He took the water bottle and took a long sip. "You didn't have to come all the way out here."**

**            "I know. I wanted to check up on you to make sure you were all right and weren't training too hard."**

**            Cloud smiled despite himself. "I'm fine." His smile turned into a frown. "Is that a little girl at the edge of the ****Rising****Falls****?"**

**            Aerith's heart sank. "YUFFIE! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STAY WITH CID!"**

**            The young girl turned around. "I did, but then he kicked me out cuz I said some bad words." She paused, grinning mischievously. "Wanna hear them?"**

**            "Yuffie, get away from the edge, now," she ordered weakly.**

**            "But Aerith, it's so pretty over here," Yuffie whined, teetering over the edge for a better look of the ****Rising****Falls****. It was a shame no one ever let her explore the ****Rising****Falls****. It was rumored that the King conducted strange experiments and some of the creatures he tested on dwelled in the ****Rising****Falls****. But Yuffie wasn't afraid of them. After all, she was the Great Ninja Yuffie!**

**            "I said now."**

**            "Aw, you never let me have any fun," the girl pouted, walking over to Aerith and Cloud. She stopped between the two and looked up at the both of them. "Are you two gonna _kiss_?" she asked, putting emphasis on the word as if it sickened her to say it.**

**            "What?!" came the simultaneous reply. **

**            "Squallie-chan was talking to that pretty girl that just moved here and I was spying and they said that you guys were...in love, and gonna kiss." Yuffie shuddered. "You're not going to, are you?"**

**            Aerith took Yuffie's hand and smiled apologetically at Cloud, trying to fight the burning blush that crept up her neck. "She gets carried away sometimes," she said, shaking her head. "I'll talk to you later. See you."**

**            Cloud, still too red to talk, nodded. **

**            "Bye, Cloud-niichan!" Yuffie waved, bouncing around as she followed Aerith back up to the castle. "Now do you want to hear the new words I learned from Cid?"**

**            Cloud chuckled as he heard Aerith answer, "I knew leaving you with Cid was a bad idea..."**

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            Yuffie hastily put the picture frame back in its spot. So she'd known Aerith and Cloud, along with a man named Cid back at Hollow Bastion. She began to wonder what else she might have forgotten. Her eyes fell upon an old leather bound photo album in the corner of the room next to a sleek black case. Her curiosity got the better of her judgment as she picked up the black case and opened it, along with another memory.

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TBC

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Some definitions: 

-niichan: honorific used by the Japanese; used to refer to a brotherly figure

-chan: honorific usually used to refer to younger children, or it can be used among friends

^_^; Been reading too many Ruroken fics again

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**_[A/N: Yaaaaaay! Sora and Riku are back! I missed em dearly, and some of you guys did too. Anyway. I think this chapter was better than my last (whoa, I'm actually proud of my work!) and hopefully from here on out the chapters will be of the same (or better) quality. I was gonna put the third flashback, but I guess two flashbacks per chapter is enough. I have a bit too much fun writing the flashbacks sometimes. Um, as I've said before, don't expect quick updates. Give me like a week to even get inspired...or  I'll get started right now if you leave some reviews.]_**

**_[Vulpes Lapis: Yes, he is a bathroom hog! I got that idea from you...thanks! *cough update cough*]_**

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	11. Broken Glass Can Shimmer Too

***WARNING***  
  
A poor quality chapter lies ahead along with an incredibly long Author's Note. Continue if you dare.  
  
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[A/N: Guess who's back? Back again? QwickSilver's back, warn a friend.   
  
Not to be rude or anything, but just a reminder: this is a hobby, not a job. I took up writing because I was bored...but mostly because I actually enjoy it. But I haven't had the time to be bored or enjoy anything lately...I'm writing this at 2 in the morning on a Saturday, and I just got back from a huge track meet. If you haven't noticed, I'm one of those over achievers who try to do everything at once and then have a nervous breakdown. I'm taking an extra class this semester so I don't have to suffer in summer school, I have track practices everyday (including weekends....in fact, I have to go in like an hour), I have a job, I still try to find time to study for my permit test and, um, breathe.This is the first time in a really long time that I've been able to sit at the computer for more than fifteen minutes. Now if I was paid to write, I'd update like every other day. Unless you guys decided to start paying me per chapter I put out (which would actually be nice so I didn't have to work too), I doubt that's gonna change. Perhaps the chapters will become a little more frequent, but for now updates will be once or so every four weeks. *gets pelted with garbage* Hey! It's not even like I have that much farther to go! Honestly, if I could drop something like working, I would. I love writing and hearing from you guys. Hell, I've become addicted to reviews. But if I can't deal with real life, it'll show in my writing.  
  
*whew* Now that I got that off my chest...I'm not like this all the time. Just give me a coupla cans of Coke and Skittles and I'm ready to go!  
  
Oh and in the flashback, we get more information than Yuffie actually remembers. 1.) Cus I thought it was a nice touch and 2.) Um, there isn't another actual reason, but I thought you guys would like to know a bit more than what Yuffie remembers (since she seems to have an abysmal memory…well, at least in my story).  
  
Wow, long Author's Notes. Anyway, before we begin, I'm sorry for the weird format. Stupid Microsoft Word was being a bitch, so I typed it up in WordPad, which just made things worse...but, it's here! I'll go back and fix it later.]  
  
DISCLAIMER: Me, own Kingdom Hearts/Final FantasyVII/VIII/X? What the hell are you smoking?...and where can I get some?  
  
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-Thoughts-  
  
"Speech"  
  
****Flashbacks****  
  
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Life or Something Like It   
  
Chapter 10: Broken Glass Can Shimmer Too   
  
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****Yuffie beamed up at the tall, brown haired boy. "You're gonna win, I know it," she began, just as she did before his every match. "You always beat Cloud when you spar, and you even beat me a bazillion times!"   
  
Squall ignored her, much like he did everytime she felt the need to give him a pep talk. He attempted to stay focused on the task at hand. He'd made it to the finals of the tournament, taking down Cloud in his last match. It'd been much tougher than he'd thought it would be, and he now took the few minutes before the match to calm himself and think clearly. He was going up against Seifer, the best in his SeeD and everyone's favorite to win.  
  
In lamest terms, Squall was the underdog, which made it more difficult to stay calm. He grew anxious, nervous, and worried. -And not to mention irritated- he added as Yuffie continued rambling on and on. Squall did appreciate her support, honestly he did (in his own subtle way), but her consistent chatter wore on his nerves. So much for concentration. "Anyone with a plastic spoon could beat you," he muttered, sparing her a passing glance.  
  
Yuffie pouted, but remembered what Cloud had told her before. -Don't get him mad, otherwise he'll end up fighting worse and lose concentration, which is exactly what Seifer wants- "Try your best, okay Squallie-chan?"   
  
Before Squall could reply, someone else cut in. "Yeah, 'Squallie-chan'. Win one for the runt," Seifer laughed.   
  
"I'm no runt!" Yuffie exclaimed defiantly, glaring at him.   
  
Seifer looked down disdainfully at Yuffie. "Keep your shirt on, Squirt, and stay out of grown ups' business."   
  
"Leave her alone, Seifer." Squall let his weapon rest on his shoulder and met Seifer's gaze. "Your fight is with me and me alone."   
  
"I wouldn't even call it a fight. After all, I don't have much of a challenge, do I?"   
  
"Shut up! Squallie's the best swordsman ever!" Yuffie jumped in.  
  
"Oh, so now you got your girlfriend sticking up for you?"   
  
"Yuffie go away. I need to concentrate," Squall said, returning to his practice swings.   
  
"But--"   
  
"I *said* go away. Now," he added forcefully.   
  
Her lower lip trembled, but she obeyed and ran off to find Aerith and Cloud. She just wanted him to win...she hoped he wasn't mad at her. Otherwise that would mean that Cloud would get mad at her too, and then she'd get left behind the next time they went to a tournament.  
  
"Good job, Leonhart. You chased away the only person who thinks you'll win."   
  
That was the last straw. Something inside Squall snapped. "Dammit, Seifer! If you think you're so high and mighty, why don't you shut up, draw your sword, and quit acting like an asshole! Or maybe I'm asking too much from you?"   
  
Seifer was speechless until he heard the announcer call out his and Squall's name. He'd never heard more than a, "Shut up, Seifer," or "Quit acting like an ass," from the stoic brunet. "Didn't know you knew so many words, Leonhart."   
  
"You don't seem to know much, now do you?"   
  
The heavy doors before them opened. Together, they entered the arena and walked to opposite sides of the battlefield. "Bow to your opponent," the referee said gruffly. Squall bowed stiffly, whereas Seifer merely nodded his head. "Take your stances." Each boy got into their respective battling stances. "Begin!"   
  
Both ran forward, swords held high. In the packed stands, Yuffie cheered wildly, Cloud yelled last minute tips, and Aerith chewed her bottom lip worriedly. Their swords met in a clash of metal. They broke apart and charged again. Squall dodged Seifer's blade and drove forward. Their swords met again.   
  
The two kept this up for a good fifteen minutes when they broke apart again and stood at the opposite sides of the field where they had started. "You're not as bad as I'd thought, Leonhart," Seifer said, actually impressed. He raised a hand to wipe away the sweat from his brow.   
  
"I'm not here for your approval. Let's go!" Squall charged again, and Seifer just managed to sidestep.   
  
"Your temper's gonna get you into a lot of trouble if you don't control it."   
  
"Shut up!" Though Squall knew that Seifer was right, he was unwilling to admit it. It was one of the first things he'd been taught during his time with SeeD. Anger clouds the mind. Anger should not drive you, but you should drive it. Anger will consume you from the inside out if you're not careful.  
  
Blah blah blah. Seeing red and uncaring of what he'd learned in class, Squall struck again, only for his sword to be blocked by Seifer's.   
  
"You're gonna lose if you don't cool it. And actually I thought for a moment that you were a worthy opponent."   
  
Cloud's brow was furrowed in confusion. "What the hell is he doing out there? If he doesn't chill out, Seifer's gonna massacre him!" He looked down at Yuffie who had gone deathly pale and quiet. "Do you--?"   
  
"I didn't mean to make him mad, honest!" Yuffie blurted. "Seifer was picking on him and I helped him out then he got mad and told me to go away."   
  
"I was gonna ask if you wanted to go home with Aerith. You guys don't seem to be having much fun," Cloud said. "I don't think it was your fault...Seifer just probably ticked him off, that's all," he told Yuffie reassuringly.  
  
Aerith smiled and patted Yuffie's shoulder. "Cloud's right Yuffie. Seifer's just a bully and loves getting under people's skin. It's not your fault Squall can't control his temper."   
  
Didn't they understand that Squall was going to lose because of her? Before either Cloud or Aerith could stop her, Yuffie got up and ran down the steps to the front row of seats. She hung over the railing and called out, "Squall!! I'm sorry!"   
  
Squall's head snapped up in the direction of Yuffie's voice. "What?" That was the only opening Seifer needed.   
  
Yuffie's eyes widened as she watched in slow motion. She closed her eyes at the last second, but she could still she the bloody gash that darted across his forehead.****  
  
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She shut the case, breathing heavily. She'd felt like she had run a mile. "Whoa," Yuffie uttered breathlessly. So he had that scar because of her. That made things a bit different and uncomfortable. Funny how, out of the millions of people in New York, she met up with all these people who have some kind of connection to her.   
  
Fate was either on crack, or had a seriously strange way of doing things.   
  
She put the case back in its corner and stood up, stretching her arms aboe her head. Yuffie turned and supposed that she should go see if Squall had used up all the hot water when she slammed into a body.   
  
A topless, damp, slightly steamy and only-wearing-a-towel body. Not that she missed the six pack or tanned skin. Yuffie tilted her head back to look up at Squall. -I can definitely get used to this every morning- she thought. She found no reason to complain; the view was niiice. "I…I-I-I…"   
  
"What are you doing in here?" he asked, obviously fighting back his anger. "I resent people looking through my belongings."   
  
Yuffie cleared her throat and began again. "I'm sorry, I came looking for you, and I saw the picture of Aerith and Cloud that looked familiar, so I was curious--"   
  
"Curiosity killed the orphan."   
  
Yuffie winced at his harsh tone. "I'm sorry, I know I messed up…it was almost as if something was calling me to it, it was--" She paused. "Well? Aren't you going to yell, hit me, something?"   
  
"Perhaps when I'm dressed and dry?" Squall suggested wryly.   
  
"Oh. OH." She forced herself to inch towards the door, trying to look at anything but him. Yuffie recovered enough to apologize. "Listen, I'm really sorry about going through your stuff--"   
  
"You made a mistake. Mistakes happen…as long as they don't happen twice."   
  
"Right…I'll go shower…" Without running but not taking her sweet time either, Yuffie fled the room and locked herself in the safety of the bathroom. Whoa. That had been an awkward moment, yet so pleasant at once. She'd never felt so flustered in a man's presence before...but then again, she'd never seen a man half-naked before. Cursing Squall for being so attractive yet downright annoying, Yuffie stepped into the shower.   
  
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The car ride was the most uncomfortable one both Yuffie and Squall had ever sat through. Yuffie tried as hard as she could to keep her eyes off him. Whenever she looked at him, she saw him siting there in nothing but a towel with damp hair that clung to his forehead and water droplets glistening on his chiseled chest... Then she'd blush and he'd look at her and ask if she was okay. Then Yuffie would nod awkwardly and glance out the window, hoping that her face would return to its normal color soon.  
  
Squall couldn't help but wonder if something that Yuffie saw something in his photo album that caused her to act this way. Baby pictures, maybe? Whatever it was, it was having one hell of an effect on Yuffie's nerves. And his own for that matter. He couldn't remember feeling so self-conscious. Ever. Though it was a mystery as to why he even cared what she thought. Squall stopped at a red light and sighed. "Is it just me or is there..."  
  
"Tension in the atmosphere? No, it's definitely not just you," Yuffie replied, still gazing out the window.  
  
"Well, the least you could do is look at me when you talk to me."  
  
"I really can't," she mumbled to herself.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Yuffie blinked. She hadn't meant for him to hear that. -Smooth move, K"It's...complicated."  
  
"You wanna talk about it?"   
  
This earned a pointed glare from Yuffie that said, "You've got to be kidding." -Damned psychiatrist...-  
  
"I'll take that as a no."  
  
"Good choice."  
  
They rode the rest of the way to school in silence, stealing glances at each other when the other wasn't looking. Both were trying to figure out what exactly was going on in the other's head. Yuffie was actually almost glad when they pulled up beside the school. She gathered her books and began to get out of the car when she felt a hand gently touch her shoulder.  
  
"Look, I know you're probably going to ignore me but...have a nice day. Seriously."  
  
Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't...but her eyes betrayed her. She could already feel the blush rising to her cheeks. Damn you, Squall! He was annoying, but really handsome...Yuffie then deemed it illegal to look so good but to be so bothersome at once. It just wasn't logical. Why would Mother Nature waste her time blessing a creature with good looks but with the personality of a fly as well? She shivered, and it wasn't just becase of the cold. "Um...you too, I guess."   
  
Squall watched as Yuffie slammed the car door and hurried up the steps into the building. He'd forgotten how to deal with teenage girls. -Well, you do tend to forget after nine years of avoiding the opposite sex- another part of him reasoned. Had it really been that long? Was he just desperate for a relationship? Was that why he'd felt rather attached to Yuffie? Or was his association with her as a child much deeper than he'd thought?  
  
A honk from behind him brought him back to reality. Squall sighed as he drove off. Yuffie was a whole lot of firsts for him. He'd never daydreamed like this until she came back into his life. -What are you doing to me, Yuffie?- Squall wondered as he started for Cid's car shop.   
  
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"Holy shit, what the hell did you do to this thing?"  
  
Squall sighed. "I thought we went over this. I hit a street light trying to avoid a couple of punks on skateboards."  
  
Cid nodded. "Punks on skateboards? I got a couple of those."  
  
"Yeah, Aerith had told me that you'd adopted some kids."  
  
"They're pretty good kids. They help out around the shop a lot, and the best part is I don't havta pay 'em jack." Squall hid a smile. He could always count on Cid to see the brighter side of certain situation. "Hey!" Cid yelled up the stairs. "You two had better haul ass and get to schoo!"  
  
A kid with brown hair that stuck out in all directions, shining blue eyes, and a goofy grin bounded down the stairs, slinging a knapsack over his shoulder. "Comin', gramps."  
  
"Dammit, it's Cid. C-I-D. Where's Riku? I want you guys to meet someone."  
  
As if on cue, the silver haired boy in question descended the stairs. "Yo, kid, get over here."  
  
Riku sauntered over to where Cid and Sora stood and came to an abrupt stop when his gaze landed on the stranger. He recognized him as the man in the Mercedes who had nearly run over Yuffie.   
  
"This is Squall," Cid introduced. "Squall, the goofy looking one is Sora--"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"--and the quiet mysterious one is Riku."  
  
"We've met," Riku cut in.  
  
"We have?" Sora and Squall asked in unison.  
  
Ignoring Sora, Riku continued. "We're friends of the girl you ran over."  
  
"Oh, Yuffie?"  
  
Sora brightened. "Do you know where she is?"  
  
"Yeah, she's staying with me," Squall answered. He turned back to Cid. "How much do you think this is gonna cost me?"  
  
"Well, You'll need paint, a totally new hood..."  
  
"Hurry up or I'll be late for work," Squall said impatiently, glancing at his watch. "Unlike some people, I didn't adopt two kids to do all my work for me when I'm high or drunk."  
  
"Hey, unless you want to pay an outrageous bill, I suggest you shut your pie hole now."  
  
Squall followed Cid back to the garage where his wrecked car was parked. Riku looked to Sora who seemed relieved that Yuffie was all right. "Hey, where does Yuffie go to school? I'm just curious," he added when Squall gave him a suspicious look.   
  
"The Catholic school down on 12th street," Squall replied hesitantly. "Why?"  
  
"Maybe our schools play each other in football," Riku lied smoothly. If he'd learned anything during his stay at the orphanage, it was how to lie through his teeth.   
  
"Speaking of school," Cid interjected, "you two had better get moving!"  
  
"We're going," Riku said as he grabbed his skateboard. "C'mon Sora, we're gonna be late."  
  
"Right behind you."  
  
As the two boys rolled down the sidewalk, Sora came to a stop as Riku turned right onto 12th street. "Where are we going?" Sora asked, puzzled.   
  
"School."  
  
"School's this way."  
  
"Who said we were going to our school? I mean we're going to find Yuffie."  
  
"We're skipping?" Sora asked incredulously.  
  
"We'll still be in school...just not our own. As long as we're in school, we're fine, according to the state law." Riku turned and faced Sora. "Unless you're going to be a huge baby about it, then we can forget it."  
  
But Sora was two steps ahead of him. "What're you waiting for? Let's go!"  
  
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TBC  
  
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A/N: Ugh, this is not going as I'd expected at all. I really am sorry for the poor quality of this chapter...I absolutely HATED how it came out. It looked so much better in my notebook...Next chapter we'll see Riku and Sora interacting with Yuffie's "new posse", and anyone I decide to throw in. I was gonna put in some Yuna/Tidus (I've become recently addicted to the pairing, thanks to the VL's FFX fic), but I don't see how I'd do it. I can't afford to make my life more complicated anyway.  
  
Also, I'm really sorry for making you guys wait a bazillion years just to read this load of shit. But then again, I'm my own toughest critique, so maybe you guys think otherwise. I owe you guys one. I'll have another chapter up by next Friday, cus I have the rest written in my notebook. But I do have to sleep, plus outline a chapter for History, so I'll talk to you guys in a week...hopefully. If I'm not back in a week with a new chapter, my mom got on my case about my grades and decided to take away my beloved laptop. 


	12. Education, or Something Like It

**_[A/N: I know, I know, bad QwickSilver, bad! Riku just might have to give this author a spanking…_**

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**_Riku: *runs away screaming* _**

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**_*ahem* Yeah. Sorry, I've been so crappy about updating.  I sat myself down and practically forced this chapter onto the screen. My muses are still on Spring Break in Cancun. As predicted, my mom got on my case about my grades, and she took away my lovely laptop and my online privileges *sobs* Till my mom gets home, here's a new chapter! And I'm also very very happy that you guys were all satisfied with the last chapter. I don't know, it just looked better in my notebook for some reason and didn't come out how I'd expected. As for how many chapters are left, let's just say the end is…coming. When or how, I'll tell you when I get there (if I ever get there at this rate…I seem to drag things out, don't I?)  :P ]_**

**_DISCLAIMER: If I owned KH and FFVII/VIII/X, I doubt I'd be wasting my time giving you another disclaimer. I'd have secretaries to do that for me and Riku and all my favorite bishies locked in my closet for…personal tasks. Mwahaha. _**

**Flashbacks/Dreams**

_Thoughts_

"Speech"

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Life or Something Like it

Chapter 11: Education…or something like it

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            Yuffie walked around the empty courtyard, fingers fiddling with the fringes of her scarf. The harsh, cool wind blew, causing Yuffie to hold down her skirt to keep it from flying up. _Damned skirts_, she thought absently as goose bumps rose upon her bare legs. She was supposed to be in study hall, but she grew tired of trying to study when there were couples two seats away trying to see how far they could stick their tongues down each other's throats. _Really, and this is supposed to be a Catholic school?_ Yuffie continued through the courtyard, letting her thoughts drift back to the morning's events. What the hell was her making her act this way around Squall? Almost all of her friends were male; what made Squall so...so different? 

            Then again, she'd never been that close to a guy only wearing a towel with water droplets glistening on his skin and smelling like—

            Her thoughts came to a crash as she stumbled over something and hit the ground hard. She blinked, trying to realize what had just happened before the pain finally registered. "Owww..." Yuffie groaned, rubbing her sore knees. "What the...?" she wondered as she got to her feet.

            Akurei sat on the floor in lotus position, eyes closed. She either a) didn't care that Yuffie busted her knee caps tripping over her or b) didn't even notice that Yuffie had tripped over her. Yuffie believed it to be the latter. She stood up and began to apologize. "Um, sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."

            "You didn't, until now," Akurei answered, eyes still closed.

            Yuffie put her hands in the pockets of her coat. "What're you doing anyway?"

            Akurei cracked open one eye. "Meditating. So were you, judging by the way you seemed to have your head in the clouds and tripped over me."

            "I guess so...long story." Yuffie smiled sheepishly. "So, up for detention today?"

            "Are you trying to start a conversation with me?" Akurei asked bluntly.

            Yuffie was slightly taken aback. "Um, yes? Is that a problem?"

            Akurei regarded her with an unreadable expression. "It's just that...haven't you heard the rumors? I'm a demon, a worshipper of the devil."

            Blink. "So?"

            "You don't care what they think?"

            "Not really..."

            Akurei looked at Yuffie, seeming to be sizing her up. At last, Akurei shrugged. "Meditation helps relieve stress and clear the mind."

            _I_ _guess I passed the test,_ Yuffie thought. "I really could use some of that right now," Yuffie murmured to herself. 

            "Have a seat."

            "What?"

            "You wanna meditate or not?"

            Shrugging, Yuffie sat Indian style beside Akurei. It wasn't like she wanted to go back to study hall and watch couples round the bases faster than Sammy Sosa on steroids anyway. "Now what?"

            "Don't think about anything. Empty your head of all your thoughts and worries. Just...exist."

            "How the hell do you do that?"

            "It might help if you imagined yourself to be a plant of some sort."

            Yuffie gave up after five minutes of "existing." She wasn't known for being patient. "How does this help again?"

            "It helps me," Akurei said quietly, glancing down at the ground. "Especially when people talk about you as if you don't exist. Which is why meditation helps me out. It's nice to feel as if I do exist, even if it is only for ten minutes while skipping class."

            "...I'm sorry." For some reason, those two words felt inadequate. It didn't seem to be enough to describe just how sorry Yuffie felt for Akurei.

            "It's no one's fault but my own...I haven't bothered to correct them."

            "But you shouldn't be judged like that."

            "Then again, I don't really mind."

            Yuffie could sense that what Akurei said and felt were two very different things. "Right...I better get back to study hall before I'm missed by the librarian." She brushed off her skirt as she stood. "Before I go...I feel sort of stupid for asking, what's your real name? I mean, no one in their right mind would name their kid 'evil' purposely."

            "Raine...but those who know me call me Rae. And to everyone else, I'm Akurei."

            "I'm Yuffie. See you in detention...Rae."

            Yuffie waved and stuck her hands in the pockets of her jacket to keep them warm. _Well, I've done my good deed for the year. Befriending the high school outcast,_ she thought with a wry smile. She began to walk back to study hall when she had a vague feeling of being watched. Her sixth sense triggered an alarm in her head and she stopped in her tracks. _It's probably a teacher,_ she thought to herself and began to walk again. A gloved hand clamped itself firmly over her mouth and an arm snaked itself about her waist. _Unless teachers cover your mouth and pull you into the bushes,_ she thought fearfully, struggling as her captor dragged her away. Yuffie bit down hard on the hand and stomped on the person's toes. When another hand gripped her right arm, she thrust her other arm back and elbowed his gut.

            A loud, "Owwwww!"  could be heard and a dull thud as someone sunk to their knees.

            Yuffie finally pulled herself free, ready to bolt or defend herself if need be. She faced her captor.

            Or, _captors_.

            Yuffie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when she saw her so-called captors. Poor Sora knelt on the ground, gasping for breath while Riku was nursing the hand she'd bitten. "I hope you got your rabies shots," Riku grumbled, wincing at the pain in his hand.

"Riku! Sora!" She pulled them both into an air-restricting group hug. "Oh my God! How are you guys?" She released them and then added, "How did you get here?"

            Sora was still winded from the hug and Yuffie's elbow to his gut. "That…dude…you're staying …with...Scott—"

            "Squall," Yuffie corrected automatically without thinking.

            "—told us...where you…went to school."

            "And of course I'm the brains behind the operation, so it was my idea for us to 'shadow' you today," Riku continued.

            "So what were you going to do if I wasn't wandering around outside?" Yuffie asked.

            "Well, I really hadn't thought about it...lucky for us you were though, huh?"

            Yuffie's face broke into a smile. It'd been a long time since she'd last smiled. Truly smiled. "Come on. I have C Lunch today, but since I'm already skipping study hall, we can go to B Lunch and you guys can meet some friends of mine."

            "You've already replaced us?" Riku asked.

            "Don't be stupid," Yuffie admonished. "You guys are one of a kind. Who else would attack me at school?" Though she didn't show it, Yuffie was immensely relieved that it was just Riku and Sora. For a moment she'd thought it was a jail-broken Ansem waiting for his revenge. As they walked, Yuffie glanced over her shoulder at Sora. "And I think there's someone you might be interested in, Sora," she told him slyly. 

            Sora stopped in his tracks. "Whaaaaaa?"

            "Oh come on, don't tell me you've never thought about girls before."

            "Well..." Sora trailed off. He thought it best to stop while he was ahead. "Wait…you aren't gonna try and set me up with anyone, are you?" he asked, running to catch up with his friends. It didn't take a genius to see that Yuffie obviously knew something he didn't.

            "Maybe…" Yuffie led her friends into the lunch room. "Welcome to the cafeteria. Stay away from anything that's gray and lumpy; chances are it's still alive," she told them as they weaved their way through the cafeteria. 

            Riku could feel the stares of the other students upon him. Maybe he shouldn't have worn this shirt today. He looked down at the letters printed on the front of his shirt. "I don't have an attitude problem; you just have a perception problem." Riku nudged Yuffie. "Maybe we should get some kind of uniform."

            "Oh yeah…" Yuffie eyed his shirt and sighed. "Did you really have to wear that shirt today?"

            "It was the only black shirt he had that wasn't already in the hamper," Sora told Yuffie, earning a glare from Riku.

            "You know, if you wore something blue, it'd bring out your eyes," Yuffie said, waving as she saw her friends.

            "Who made you my fashion consultant?" Riku grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

            "It's true. You have beautiful eyes," she commented lightly.

            Riku was slightly confused at the comment. He wasn't so much confused at the comment as he was confused with his reaction. He felt his cheeks redden. She could've used better word choice, he decided. "Pretty" or "nice" would have sufficed. Why did she say "beautiful"? 

            Why the hell was he even thinking about it so much? He should just stop thinking…especially about Yuffie.

            "Yuffie!

            Riku watched as a tall, dark curly haired boy stood up and greeted Yuffie. He pulled her into a hug that lifted her off her feet. "Dammit, Deidros put me down!" Yuffie said, squirming in his grasp. When he set her back on her feet, Yuffie punched Deidros' arm and greeted, "Dumbass."

            "You rang?"

            "Hey Yuffie. I thought you had C Lunch today," said Kairi as Yuffie sat at the table.

            "Skipping study hall." Yuffie took a few French fries from Kairi's tray and sat down. Riku took a seat in between Sora and Yuffie. Yuffie gestured to the two newcomers. "By the way, I'd like you guys to meet my friends. Riku, Sora, that loser is Deidros—"

"Hey, remember when you point at someone, you're pointing three more fingers back at yourself," Deidros quipped. 

"—and this is Kairi."

            "Kairi?"

            "Sora?" the two asked in unison.

            "It's a small world," Deidros said with a grin, slinging an arm around Yuffie. 

            "And it's getting smaller," Riku muttered under his breath.

            "Still. Not. Interested," Yuffie ground out, pushing Deidros' arm off her shoulders. "But could you do me a favor?"

            "Anything for thy fair maiden."

            Yuffie fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Could you find these guys a couple of uniforms? I don't think Riku's shirt qualifies as following the uniform code."

            Deidros looked at Riku's shirt. "Hm. I have the same one at home."

            "Great, now I have to burn this one."

            Yuffie glanced at Riku. Just moments before he was happy to see her, now he was bitter and rude. "You okay?"

            "Fine," Riku bit off the word rather frigidly.

            "Right…two uniforms coming up. I'm sure I can pull a few strings here and there," Deidros said as he pushed back his chair and hurried off. He wasn't as unobservant as everyone made him out to be. Even he could feel the tension between Mr. Moody and Yuffie that was thickening rapidly.

            Sora and Kairi were engaged in idle chit chat about hobbies and interests, unaware of anything but each other. Yuffie smiled and nudged Riku. "Looks like our little Sora isn't so little anymore. They grow up so fast."

            Riku shrugged. "I guess."

            "What is with you? Just two seconds ago you were so happy…it's been a long time since I've seen you smile like you did before."

            "Yeah, well, it's not everyday your best friend goes and replaces you with some pervert looking to score and Sora's ideal girlfriend."

            "You mean Deidros?" Yuffie asked with an incredulous laugh. "You're kidding me. That's just how he is. It bugged me a bit when I first met him too, but you get used to it. He's just a flirt, that's all."

            "A bit of an asshole too."

            Yuffie chuckled at that. "You have no idea."

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            "Not too shabby, if I do say so myself," Deidros commented.

            "Well, don't," Riku grumbled, shooting him a glare.

            "You guys clean up very well," Yuffie complimented. "Though you could use a little help with the ties." She turned to Deidros. "Where did you get these? You didn't beat up on some poor freshmen and sophomores to snag these, did you?"

            Deidros shifted his backpack from one shoulder to the other. "Of course not…do you think so little of me?" After receiving a pointed glare from Yuffie, Deidros continued. "Well, more like threatened them."

            Yuffie rolled her eyes and watched Sora fidgeted with his tie. "Why don't they make them like one of the ones that clip?" Sora complained, giving up.

            Kairi smiled and helped Sora tie it. "It's not that hard."

            A blush spread across his cheeks and he raised a hand to rub the back of his head sheepishly. "Um, thanks."

            Yuffie wanted to gag. The sappiness was just so overwhelming. The two were pining for each other from afar when they were _this_ close to each other. It was ridiculous and sickening to watch. "Sora, do you want to shadow Kairi? I don't think it'd be fair to leave Kairi alone, especially after you two seem to be having so much fun talking."

            "Sure!" he replied a bit too eagerly. "Uh, I mean, if it's okay with Kairi."

            Kairi's face took on a red hue. "If you want to…" 

"'Course I do."

She smiled. "Well, come on. I have European Arts next, and I can't be late," Kairi said, pulling Sora along by his wrist. "See you guys later!"

            Deidros stared after them, then shifted his gaze down at Yuffie. "Why'd you do that for? Now they'll find the nearest closet and fuck like bunnies."

            "Better the closet than the cafeteria where people are eating," Yuffie answered. 

            "I like the way you think, Kisaragi."

            "I know an insult when I hear one." She turned to Riku. "Let's go. The bell's about to ring and I'm gonna be late for chemistry."

            "Oh, by the way, class is in the home-ec room today," Deidros informed.

            "Why?"

            "Well, after you melted down the lab, I'd find it hard to work in such an environment."

            Riku raised an eyebrow at the remark. 

            Yuffie sighed. "Long story."

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            "Nice of you to show up," Tifa said dryly as Deidros, Yuffie, and another boy walked into the home-ec room. She vaguely wondered what the excuse could be this time.

            "Sorry Miss Lockheart," Deidros apologized. 

"I forgot that the class had been moved," Yuffie said with a shrug.

            "And who is this?" Tifa asked, motioning towards the stranger.

            "This is Riku. He's shadowing me today."

            "Also known as Mr. Moody," Deidros added. 

            "Welcome to Juniors' Chemistry, Riku," Tifa greeted. "Do you know anything about chemistry at all?"

            "Well, not really…"

            "Then you'll fit in nicely." She cleared her throat and raised her voice. "Pair up with your partners! Outline chapter twelve and hand it in at the end of class. Be prepared for a pop quiz sometime this week."

            Deidros went over to his partner, and Riku followed Yuffie to the back of the room where a mousy girl with glossy blonde hair and brandy colored eyes sat silently, reading a heavy text. She looked up and nodded briefly at Yuffie. "Hey Rae. This is Riku. Riku, Rae. Rae, Riku."

            "Nice to meet you."

            "Likewise," the girl replied, closing the heavy book and putting it away.

            Yuffie took out her books and a pen. "I'll take the even lessons, and you take the odd."

            Rae nodded mutely and got to work.

            Riku leaned towards Yuffie and whispered, "Is she always this talkative?"

            "She's quite the chatterbox." Yuffie looked at her book, the words blurring together when she stared at them too long. "Here," she said suddenly, shoving the book and notebook towards Riku. "You outline this crap."

            To Yuffie's surprise, Riku silently picked up the pen and began to write. "You really didn't have to," Yuffie said uncertainly. "I was just frustrated, that's all."

            "I got it. Take a nap or something," Riku said. "I'm bored as hell anyway. I need something to do before I go brain dead."

            "Thanks." She still felt tired from waking up so early. She rested her head in hand and propped her elbow on the table. It was no use trying to go back to sleep. Whenever Yuffie closed her eyes, her thoughts somehow found their way back to "The Incident". At some point during class, she fell into a light doze…

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            **Yuffie found herself in what seemed to be a castle. A large, towering, gothic castle, she noted as she tilted her head back to view the top. **

**"Toto?**** I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," she muttered to herself. Here the hell _was_ she? Cautiously, Yuffie made her way down a small path away from the castle. In the distance, a small town dwelt. Maybe she'd find someone in town to tell her where she was. Shifting the weight of her backpack from one shoulder to the other, Yuffie made her way closer, a strong sense of déjà vu overcoming her. _What is this place? And a better question, why is it so familiar? _The small town was bustling with activity. Children ran around, squealing if they were deemed "it". To her surprise, there wasn't a single car on the narrow or one adult was chatting away on a cell phone. Obviously this place was primitive, compared to New York.**

**            She cried out as something rammed into her from behind and sent her flying through the air for a minute before finally hitting the ground. Yuffie groaned and saw that a little girl was the one that brought her tumbling down. _Well, the term, "hard-headed" is an understatement. More like "head of steel,"_ she thought idly, shaking her head gently to clear away the stars. Yuffie turned to the little girl and asked, "Are you okay?"**

**            But the little girl took off, without a single word spoken or as if she hadn't just fallen to the ground.**

**            "Stop! Thief!" A man in his thirties with pale blonde hair and a cigarette stuck between his lips shouted, running towards Yuffie.**

**            "Me?" Yuffie uttered bewilderedly. "I didn't take anything! I don't even live here!"**

**            "Not you, kid," the man growled, hunching over and resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "That punk that just took you down. And you're her latest victim."**

**            "What?" **

**            "Your bag's gone," he seemed to take great pleasure in saying. **

**            _Smart ass,_ she thought. Then, a split second later, "What?!"**

** Yuffie looked about her frantically, but her bag was nowhere to be found. Indeed, the mysterious little girl had run off with both her bag and whatever she stole from this man. Scrambling to her feet, Yuffie sprinted off in the direction the girl had run. She really didn't know where she was going, but she allowed her feet to carry her.  The girl came into view, standing at a cross walk. She seemed unsure of which way to run next. Yuffie cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Hey, gimme back my book bag!"**

**            The young girl turned to face her for the first time, and Yuffie's jaw fell open. The girl looked exactly like her at that age! _What the hell's going on?! _Yuffie kept running, hoping to stop the girl before she bolted again. A boy about thirty feet away from her seemed to be chasing after the girl. As he neared, Yuffie was shocked to see that the boy was Squall at a younger age.**

**            "Yuffie!" young-Squall called out. "Get back here with my Munny, you little thief!"**

**            The girl made a break for it, and before Yuffie could stop, she found herself about to run headlong into young-Squall.**

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_Thud._

God, did her forehead hurt…where was she again?

            "Yuffie?" a voice called out tentatively.

            Yuffie blinked as it all came rushing back to her. She'd been dreaming, and smacked foreheads with a younger version of Squall. _Ouch…was it really just a dream? If so, why does my head hurt so much?_ "Yeah?" came Yuffie's muffled answer.

            "Are you okay?" Riku asked.

            "You tell me."

            "You were sleeping, and your head slipped off your hand and hit the desk."

            Ah. That would explain the headache. "I'm fine, I guess. Just a little tired."

            "A little tired?"

            "Fine, really tired."

            The bell rang a bit too loudly for Yuffie's liking. She gathered her things, still a bit drowsy from her nap. "Hand in your outlines before you leave, please," Tifa announced, erasing the chalkboard.

            The assignment! Yuffie slapped her forehead and immediately wished she hadn't. She was still sore from head banging with the desk. "Chill," Riku interrupted before she could say anything. "Me and Rae finished it while you were…what do you call that? Sleeping?"

            Yuffie snatched the paper from his hands and glared at him. "Ha, ha, very funny." She practically slammed the papers on the teacher's desk and stormed out, Riku following her with a smirk on his face. Deidros chuckled, slinging his bag over his shoulders. "Smooth move Yuffie," he complimented as he caught up with Riku and Yuffie. "The trail of drool running down your arm and making a puddle on the desk was a very nice touch."

            "Shut up," Yuffie replied scornfully.

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TBC

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**_A/N: It didn't seem right to end it here, but it was getting quite lengthy (3,500 without the Author's Notes). I suppose this is just a really REALLY long filler chapter for now. Oh, and as I finish this chapter, my muses finally come back from spring break in Cancun. Well, now that they're here, expect more development in the next chappie.  And I promise to have it up by…Thursday? I know I haven't been keeping to schedule lately (I'm always late for class, so that doesn't help my scheduling problems), but if I don't have something up by then (and only by then), I need you all to come storming me. _**

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**_Yes, pitchforks and all, otherwise I may never get my lazy arse to write. _**

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**_If you're a rabid reader like I am, I know you can't pass up a chance to form an angry mob : )_**

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**_Would you mind helping me out and please point out any grammar and/or spelling mistakes when you find them? One day I'll go back and re-edit this mess. _**

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**_3 QwickSilver_**


	13. It's All About the, He Said, She Said

**A/N:** Wow guys, it's been way too long, if I don't say so myself. I was just out of the whole writing thing for a while. Ugh, I went back and reread "Love is Like a Rose", and I just gagged; it's riddled with grammar mistakes and bad spacing and the list goes on and on. I'll get around to rewriting that someday. I should probably get a move on rewriting some of these chapters as well. I apologize for the lack of line breaks. Quick Edit went all awry on me. You'll be able to tell when the scene changes though. Feel free to fling any old fruit at me. I can't say I don't deserve it. coughadvertisment timecough But it's not like there aren't other Squffies to satisfy your L/Y needs (if I get any story titles or pennames wrong, it's been a long day. I'm sorry and feel free to correct me).

- Deplora has two L/Y's up and running, I think. "Honor Amongst Thieves" and a sequel to "Blind Instinct" (brilliantly written, I must say) called "Lullaby".

-Vulpes Lapis recently coughfinallycough updated "How Do I Loathe Thee?" so you should all go read and review that…after you're done here, silly!

-Um, October Breeze has one going, "The Sparrow Sings". The plot is very interesting and I haven't seen it done before. It's a great find…I sound like I'm talking about antiques or something. It's been a long day ;

-There's Jupiter Green and "Rewind". In short, it's awesome.

-And Obsidian Sorrows' fic, "Warrior, I am". Grr, I was hoping to write a fic with the same plot, but now I see that I probably couldn't have done the idea justice. Yeah, another great Squffie, mixed with a bit of Cloud/Yuffie, but I love it.

-I almost forgot, "Chasing the Mayfly" by Ellyrianna. I haven't gotten around to reading some of the later chapters, but the ones I have read I liked. I think I'll go R&R once I post this…

-I think Annjirika just put up her latest fic, "Midnight Moonlight." Vampireish Squffie. A Squall with fangs. For rabid Squall/Leon fangirls, I don't think it gets any better.

Uh…there are quite a few others out there that I haven't mentioned. Snoop around on some people's favorite's list and you'll find dozens of Squffies…I think Deplora has the most complete list of Squffies I've yet to see on someone's favorite list. And if you still can't get enough of Squffie, there's always the Squffielove community on livejournal (dot) com. Just hop on over to Livejournal, type in "Squffielove" in the search by username, and voila!

Okay, done with advertising. -whew- Onto the fic!

DISCLAIMER: It's been a while since I've written one of these…I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final FantasyVII/VIII/X, but I do own the two OC's. Was that good enough?

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**Life or Something Like It**

**Chapter 13: It's All About the "He Said, She Said"**

Riku struggled with the weight of the books as Yuffie thrust another text into his arms. "Now I'm glad I go to a public school and don't have to lug all these books home everyday," he commented, watching Yuffie fish around in her locker.

"Rub it in why don't you," Yuffie grumbled, shoving a book into her backpack. "Hey, have you seen Sora?" Now that she thought about it, she hadn't heard from the spiky haired teen since they arrived.

"Nope, not since lunch…have you seen Kairi?"

"No…should we be worried?"

"I guess he's somewhere with Kairi. He'll turn up sooner or later; otherwise Cid will have his head. He's supposed to do inventory today."

Yuffie slammed her locker shut and slapped her forehead. "Oh, I forgot…I still have detention. Sheesh. Blow up one chemistry lab and they go all mental on you."

"Okay. I'll hang around for an hour...not like I have anywhere to go anyway. Besides, I have to wait around for Sora."

"See you." Shivering a little as a cold wind swept through the hall, Yuffie started up the empty hallway to the principal's office for another hour of cruel punishment. _Juvenile Hall must be heaven compared to this, _she thought idly, dragging her feet a bit. Perhaps she'd be better off with the cops. The sound of another pair of footsteps caused her to look up. She spotted Akurei heading towards her with what looked like two scalpels and groaned. This school couldn't be that evil…could it? "Hey…what're you doing with those scalpels?"

Ten minutes later, the sound of metal scraping on metal was all that was heard in the gym. Disgusted, Yuffie removed another wad of gum that fell on her face. If the principal wasn't contemplating suspending her and glaring at her, Yuffie would've tossed her cookies. But in retrospect, she realized it wasn't a good idea; then she'd have to clean up her lunch and breakfast as well as the gum. "You would think people would spend time making out rather than chewing gum under the bleachers," she whispered to Rae.

"Yuffie?"

"Hm?"

"What's with you and Riku?"

The scalpel slipped from her grasp and hit the floor with a clatter. "No chitchat allowed," the principal said sternly, crossing his arms and glasses gleaming in the light.

After he turned away, Yuffie whispered back, "That was kinda sudden…what d'you mean?"

"Are you two…you know."

"No!" she responded a bit quickly, feeling her face heat up. "No. Ugh, ew. We're just friends…why?"

"Oh…I guess you hadn't noticed it. You were sleeping at the time, after all."

"Noticed what?"

Casting a glance towards the principal, who was talking to another teacher, Akurei continued. "I started talking to him after you conked out in chemistry. He thinks very highly of you and your friendship…I think he likes you."

"Of course, I like him too. It's kinda inevitable after spending ten years together."

After muttering something under her breath (which, to Yuffie, sounded suspiciously like, "And people think I don't notice anything."), Akurei said bluntly, "Not that kind of likes. As in he-sees-you-as-potential-girlfriend-material likes you."

This time Yuffie caught the scalpel before it hit the ground. "What?!" she exclaimed.

"Miss Kisaragi, if I hear another word out of you, you'll find yourself spending more time in detention than you do in class!"

"Just think about it, all right?" Akurei whispered hurriedly before returning to scraping for gum.

"But--"

"I'm warning you, one more sound…"

Unable to get another word in edgewise, Yuffie sighed in frustration and scraped furiously at the remaining gum on the underside of the bleachers. As if her life wasn't complicated enough already: on the run from a loony, learning about her past, struggling with a newfound infatuation with her current roommate who just happened to be nine years older than her, and now one of her best friends for ten years is harboring feelings for her. She glared at Akurei. Akurei just shrugged and smirked in response, as if to say, "I call it how I see it." Her smirk soon turned into a scowl as a chewed wad of gum landed in her hair. Yuffie grinned and felt a bit better. Now at least they both had something on their minds...or in Rae's case, in their hair.

Meanwhile, still by Yuffie's locker, Riku put on his headphones. Nodding his head to the guitar solo, he looked around the almost empty courtyard. He leaned against the wall, observing the few people still milling around. A group of friends sat underneath a large bare oak tree, laughing and talking animatedly. A teacher walked through the courtyard towards the faculty parking lot, a briefcase in one hand a cell phone in the other. To the far off right in a corner by some bushes was a couple, holding each other and whispering sweet nothings. Releasing a sigh, Riku looked away. He was almost sixteen, and even Sora knew more about girls than he did. He was told that he was a lady-killer, the mysterious bad boy that girls dreamt about. And maybe he was. But he just wasn't interested…or at least he hadn't been until very recently.

In a surreptitious manner, a woman, who was parked behind a mess of bushes and shrubbery, got out of her SUV and looked around. She muttered something into her cell phone and looked around again. She fished around in her big black purse for a pen and a slip of paper and scribbled something down. Taking one last glance around, her eyes met Riku's, and Riku looked away. Lowering her gaze, the woman said something else into her cell phone before sitting back down in the driver's seat of her Dodge Durango.

He'd been studying the woman and her car so closely, Riku nearly wet his pants when he felt a fist punch his shoulder lightly. To his chagrin, it was Deidros. Removing his headphones, Riku growled, "What do you want?"

"Nice to see you too. Where's Yuffie?"

"Detention."

"What're you doing here?"

"Waiting for Yuffie. Said I'd walk her home."

Deidros's face fell. "What are you, her shadow?" he said jokingly, shoving his hands in his pockets. Turning serious, he asked, "Is there anything between you and Yuffie? Are you two…you know."

Riku blinked. "Why are you asking?"

"Well, I, uh…"

Resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration, Riku sighed. "Dude, she's not your type. Believe me."

"I think I can decide who is and isn't my type, thanks," Deidros returned coolly.

"Suit yourself." The kid wanted Yuffie to shoot him down, fine. He wanted his heart ripped out and stomped on? No problem. He was just trying to help him out.

After a slight moment's pause, Deidros finally spoke, "Tell her I said hi." And with that he ambled away. Well, at least Riku knew that the competition had nothing at him. _Wait, competition?_

He didn't have much time to think about anything else as something prodded him roughly between the ribs, causing him to jump and wince at the same time. "Ready to go?" Yuffie asked, shifting the weight of her backpack from one shoulder to the other.

"Um, sure." He glanced back to where he'd seen the mysterious lady to find that she was gone. Shrugging it off, he followed Yuffie to the drop off/pick up area.

"Squall's supposed to pick me up. I'm sure he'll give you a lift too. What about Sora?" Yuffie added.

Riku shrugged. "Still haven't seen him." Although Riku had an idea of where Sora could be. Chances were that Sora finally got the balls to walk Kairi home. After twenty or so minutes of standing on the curb, looking like two human popsicles, Riku spoke up. "He's not coming, is he?"

Yuffie sighed, blew on her hands, and rubbed them hands together to keep them warm. "Damn Squall. I guess we can walk. It's not that far. Besides, I'm freezing my butt off here."

So the two set off down the sidewalk in silence. Sidling up alongside Yuffie, Riku noted that she was uncharacteristically quiet. "How was detention? They didn't make you write lines, did they?"

Feeling a blush sweep up her neck as she remembered the conversation she and Akurei had earlier, Yuffie forced a laugh. "I wish. Try scraping gum off the bleachers for an hour."

The two fell silent again. As they rounded the corner of 12th Street and Pines, Riku considered telling Yuffie about the strange woman he saw. Something was off about her, but Riku just couldn't place his finger on it. Instead, he opted for telling her about Deidros. "You have a new secret admirer, by the way."

Losing her grip on her chemistry book, Yuffie asked, "What?"

"Don't tell me you didn't know. I thought it was obvious, especially after today," Riku commented, picking up the book Yuffie had dropped and handing it to her.

"I know," Yuffie said quietly, avoiding eye contact with him and picking up her pace. "Rae told me earlier."

"So?"

"So what?"

"What do you say?"

Chewing on her lower lip, Yuffie sighed heavily. "I don't think it'd work out, Riku. We're good friends, and it'd just be weird, you know?"

"Good. I tried letting him down easy for you, but he just couldn't take a hint."

"Wait, him? Him who?"

"Your secret admirer, Deidros."

"Deidros?!"

"Yeah…who do you think I was talking about?"

Yuffie frowned. "You mean…you aren't the secret admirer?"

"No!" Looking at his feet, a little red faced, Riku continued. "No. Who told you that?"

"Uh…it's a _really_ long story." Feeling stupid and, if possible, even more embarrassed, Yuffie kept about four feet between her and Riku. She wanted to kick herself in the head over and over, and was sure she could manage it if she tried. Hell, she wanted to kick Rae for feeding her false information. And for embarrassing her, she wanted to kick Riku.

Another silence came between them as they walked the last few blocks to the apartment complex, except this silence was uncomfortable. Yuffie cheered inwardly when she finally climbed the second flight of stairs and reached apartment number 35B. Reluctantly, she turned and faced Riku. "Listen, about earlier…"

"Forget it." Well. At least he now knew for certain that whatever it was between them would never happen. "No biggie."

Leaning against the front door, Yuffie shook her head. "I don't know what I was thinking, listening to her. We've known each other for ten years, we're almost brother and sister. It'd be kinda gross, now that I think about it."

Feeling slightly deflated, Riku managed a grin. "So you've thought about it before, huh? I knew you couldn't resist my charms."

Before she could come up with a clever comeback, the front door opened. Since she let her weight rest against the door, as soon as it opened, she fell back into something firm and warm. After getting over the initial shock of falling, Yuffie realized that she was in the arms of the object of her affection, Squall. By this time, she was positive that she looked like a tomato with hair by now. "Um…hi," she managed to squeak out.

Squall set Yuffie back on her feet and looked between the two teenagers. "Are you two—?"

"No!" Both Riku and Yuffie said emphatically in unison.

Squall shrugged. "Sheesh. I was just asking if you were cold. I just made some hot cocoa."

"Um, no, I'm good, thanks. I have to get going. See you around, Yuffie." Trying to save what was left of his dignity, Riku set off down the hall and out of sight. If one more person else asked if he and Yuffie were a couple, he'd crack.

_Coward,_ Yuffie thought. "Hot cocoa sounds nice, actually. Especially after freezing my ass off for twenty minutes waiting for you to pick me up."

Squall slapped his forehead. "Sorry about that. I knew it was _way_ too quiet around here…I was doing some paperwork, and then Aerith called…I lost track of time."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't let it happen again, all right?" Yuffie grumbled, throwing her coat and books on the couch as she progressed into the kitchen for some hot chocolate. "I can hardly feel my fingers." Squall stopped her and took her pale hands in his. "W-what are you doing?"

"Warming them up," he replied simply, encasing her slim, trembling fingers with his own calloused ones. "What happened to your gloves?"

"Sold 'em for a decent lunch," she said, making sure to hide her face behind her bangs so he couldn't see what all this contact was doing to her. If she blushed anymore, she'd be mistaken for a fire hydrant.

"Sold them? What happened to the twenty dollars I gave you?"

"Bought another set of skateboard wheels."

Squall sighed. "You're warm and clammy," he noted, putting a hand on her forehead and her cheeks. "And have the chills," he added, feeling Yuffie shiver underneath his touch.

Sure, she was shivering all right, but not because she was cold. "I'm fine, really."

"Here, just let me make sure—"

"Really, it's nothing," Yuffie cut him off.

"I'm not giving you a choi—"

"I just need to—hey!" she exclaimed as Squall lifted her up and slung her over his shoulder. Although she couldn't bring herself to complain. She had a great view of his a—_I so did NOT think that,_ Yuffie thought, horrified.

When they reached Squall's room, Squall unceremoniously dropped Yuffie onto the black silk sheets on his bed. "I," he began, grabbing his desk chair and straddling it, "am going to give you a check up. You, on the other hand, will be quiet as I go about it. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Yuffie mumbled.

"Good. When was the last time you've had a doctor's check up?" Squall asked while going about and getting out his stethoscope, thermometer, and tongue compressor.

"Um…when I was six?"

"Mhm. So, how was school?"

"It was—shit, your hands are freezing!" she yelped as Squalls hands felt around the skin on her neck.

"Or maybe you're just hot," he returned calmly, ignoring the expletive and continuing his work.

Yuffie blushed even harder at the comment. She knew he didn't mean it like that, but she still blushed furiously. "Whatever."

"Open your mouth and stick out your tongue."

She obliged and Squall stuck the thermometer in. "Hey—"

"No talking," he reprimanded. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Maybe I should stick a thermometer in your mouth more often. The silence would be rewarding. And no talking," he added as he saw that she was about to protest.

As soon as the thermometer beeped, Yuffie spat it out and glared at him. "Maybe I should stick this thermometer up your—"

"Ninety-nine point eight, one point two degrees higher than what it should be. All right, I need you to undo the first three buttons of your shirt, so we can all keep our modesty, so I can check your heart."

Nodding, Yuffie lifted her trembling hands to her shirt and fumbled with the buttons. Well, it wasn't everyday a gorgeous doctor told her to unbutton her shirt. So sue her. "I-I can't. My fingers are still a little numb," she lied. Truth was that she didn't want to admit that she was too nervous. Her heart was pounding double time; she was sure Squall could hear it…_wait, he can! With that stetha-whatever it's called,_ she realized.

"Take a couple of deep breaths." The first two breaths were shaky, and by the third one, her heart was fighting to escape her ribcage. "It's just a stethoscope, not a shot or anything," Squall reassured her.

_Great.__ Now he thinks I'm a baby when it comes to shots. _"Yeah, I know…I just haven't done this doctor business in a while," she said with a slight smile. _Or something like that._

"Well, you seem to be okay," he concluded, putting his supplies away. "You just have a slight fever. Stay here. I'll go get some aspirin for your fever."

"Okay." She watched him walk out of the room. Although he seemed like a cold-hearted bastard on the outside, he really was kinda and caring. Well, when he wanted to be, anyway. Yuffie let her eyes wander around the room as she waited. Her eyes fell upon a thick manila folder that had her name on it. Conveniently forgetting what trouble curiosity had gotten her into before, she reached out and opened it. Inside was her personal information: name, gender, date of birth, hair color, eye color, blood type, and so on. Yuffie skimmed further down and saw notes scribbled in Squall's handwriting. The more she read, the less she liked.

_Wednesday, November 23rd, 2003_

_Subject Yuffie Kisaragi seems to have a guarded aura around her, which was expected after growing up on the streets as orphan to get by. Slowly, but surely, she is letting some of that aura shine through. Though distrustful, Subject is adapting well to her surroundings. _

There was more, but Yuffie couldn't bring herself to read the rest. So that's all she was to him? Nothing more than a scrawny little street rat with irreversible psychological issues? She got to her feet and fled to her room before Squall returned. Growing up, Yuffie had learned to not pay attention to what people thought; what made Squall so special? She knew she shouldn't care, she knew she shouldn't. But that's what scared her. She did, and no matter how she tried, she knew she always would.

**End Chapter 13.**

**A/N:** Oooh, who's the mysterious lady? That's for me to know and you to find out, I guess. Which you will. Soon. I actually liked this chapter, oddly enough. Squffie interaction. Joyness! Although I proofread this at least three times, I'm sure I'll still find grammar mistakes later on.

Anyway.

R&R!


	14. As You Sleep

_**A/N: **Long time, no update. Don't worry, I won't bore you with the details._

_DISCLAIMER: Look. I don't own anything but Akurei/Rae, so don't bother coming after me with lawyers. If you do, the most you'll be able to get out of me is pocket lint, and unless you have a pocket lint fetish, there's really no reason for legal action._

**Life or Something Like It**

**Chapter 14: As You Sleep**

It'd been a couple of hours since she'd found those papers in Squall's room.

And the longer she sat alone in her room, the more she began to believe that she really was sick. _Stupid Squall, playing mind tricks on me, _Yuffie thought miserably, pulling the sheets tighter around her. A few moments later, she decided that shivering, despite the many quilts and blankets she was covered with, was not healthy. Finally she resolved to swallow her pride and go find that Tylenol. The second she stood up, her vision swam before her eyes and her steps were unsteady and shaky. Somehow, some way, Yuffie managed to get to the bathroom and found herself kneeling in front toilet, emptying her stomach of the day's earlier meals.

"Yuffie?" A worried Squall knocked at the door. Yuffie opened her mouth to answer, but had to promptly shut it when as she felt a wave of nausea sweep through her. When he didn't receive an answer, Squall came into the bathroom. "Are you--oh no."

Wiping at the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand, Yuffie gave him a weak smile. "Did you know that there are a bunch of ways to say 'throw up'?"

Squall sighed. "Come here, I'll get you something."

Yuffie shook her head and hugged the toilet as if her life depended on it. "No, the floor's moving too fast," she answered solemnly.

He stared for a moment, trying to determine whether that was a joke or the truth. Judging by her extremely pale cheeks and slightly glazed over eyes, he came to a conclusion. "You're delirious, aren't you." He didn't even need to ask; he knew the symptoms of a high fever.

"Maaaaybe."

He hoisted her into his arms and carried her back to his room while Yuffie went on about...something. "Upchucking, tossing cookies, tangoeing with the toilet, blowing chunks, hurling, and, my favorite, technicolor yawning. That's...eighty-nine different ways to say barf. Wait, that makes eight...eighty...eighty-ninety and one."

"Try seven," Squall muttered as he laid her down, fighting the urge to massage his temples.

"Y'know, Squallie, you're very smart," Yuffie commented off-handedly. "And not too bad on the eyes."

"Thanks." He'd thought that dealing with a delirious girl would be the same as dealing with a mental patient but, once again, Yuffie had proved him wrong.

"No I mean it. I had a dream about you once."

"Really." Squall straightened up and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, I'm going to get you that Tyelnol now--"

"--I was little, and these monsters were after me. I asked you to help me, but you helped this prettier girl instead."

"Yuffie," he began.

"But you're a jerk too, Squallie," she said emphatically, beating his chest with her tiny fists. "You're keeping secret papers on me as if I'm some sort of..." But the girl had babbled herself into a gentle slumber. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Squall sat down on his mattress, suddenly feeling the fatigue catch up with him. He knew he should've gotten Yuffie some medicine, that he'd forgotten to set his alarm, but sleep beckoned him, and Squall could do nothing but answer.

* * *

The sun rose and shone a little too brightly for the teen's taste. She felt as if she'd been hit by a truck. Groaning, Yuffie shifted and cuddled into the warm pillow beside her to avoid the light. _Mmm, this is nice. Wait, black sheets? _She didn't remember black sheets on her bed...her grip tightened on her pillow, which emitted a soft sigh and tightened _its_ grip on her. 

_Whoa, wait a minute._

Her eyes snapped open. This wasn't her room. And, because pillows don't have arms, this certainly couldn't be her pillow. Blinking a few times, she realized that the Squall was the owner of the arms that were so securely wrapped around her. Personally, Yuffie never would have thought Squall to be a cuddly sleeper. But she couldn't bring herself to complain; he was much warmer than his personality.

Suddenly, Squall sat up abruptly, still holding Yuffie rather tightly in his arms. "What time is it?" he mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

Because Yuffie's face was very much nestled against the hollow of Squall's throat, all she could really do was shrug. After a moment, it finally seemed to occur to Squall that he was holding Yuffie in a rather compromising position. "Uh, sorry about that," he apologized as he released her quickly, almost as if he'd touched fire.

"Um, how'd I get in here?" Yuffie wondered.

Squall thought for a moment. "Last night you got sick and I found you 'tangoeing' with the toilet. So I brought you here to get something for your stomach and fever but you'd already fallen asleep."

Yuffie yawned before a lazy grin stretched across her face. "So, how'd _you_ end up here?"

"Please. Don't flatter yourself." He stood up and stretched. "Go get ready for school. We'll leave in 30."

She sighed, rolling out of bed. And she was getting used to this softer, nicer Squall, too. That's when her gaze landed on the alarm clock on his bedside table. "It's ten-thirty," Yuffie informed.

"What?"

"That caught your attention, didn't it?"

Squall cursed angrily. "If you'd just taken the damn Tylenol last night..."

"Hey, I was going to, until I found--" she cut herself off.

"Until you found what?" Squall prompted.

"Nothing. I'll go shower."

"Not so fast." He held out an arm and blocked her exit. "Until you found what?"

"Just forget I mentioned it."

"Were you going through my stuff again?" he demanded.

The word 'no' died on her tongue. What was wrong with her? She'd been able to lie through her teeth to Ansem more times than she could count; her lying technique had been perfected. How did Squall manage to just...mess all that up with one question? "Yes," she heard herself mumble.

"What'd you--"

"A folder," she snapped, "with my name on it." Her voice grew stronger as she continued. "You're keeping some sort of journal on me, as if I'm some kind of patient or crazy person. I don't want to be your charity case, all right?"

"You're not a charity case. You're an orphan who needs a little guidance."

"I don't need your pity."

"Believe me, I have none for you," he replied coldly.

Yuffie glared. "Then what's with the stupid folder?"

Squall seemed to struggle with answering. "Don't tell her I told you, but Aerith asked me to keep an eye on you."

"By stalking me?"

"By _observing_ you."

"Didn't know you got off on watching girls prance around your apartment."

"Look, it's way too early for this, I haven't even had coffee yet."

"Finally, something we can agree on. Now, if you'll excuse me," she made a grand show of rolling out of bed, "_I'm_ going to take a shower. _You_ are going to stay here and NOT 'observe' me while I shower."

"I never--" But by the time he opened his mouth, she was gone. Whatever. Like _he'd_ want to observe _her_, anyway.

_Of course you wouldn't. Watching's not your kind of thing. You're more of an action kinda guy._

Wait, what? He reached up and rubbed his temples furiously. It really was way too early for this, his brain just wasn't reacting properly to the situation.

_It's not your _brain_ that's reacting..._

Coffee. That's what he needed. And lots of it. He could already tell it was going to be one of those days.

* * *

Finally. She'd gotten their attention, and now she could explain the latest formula to the rowdy class of juniors. Tifa sighed. This class would be the death of her. "If you'd turn to page 394, you'll find all the vocabulary for the chapter. Today we'll begin by..." 

The door swung open, and a very disgruntled Yuffie Kisaragi walked in. The class grew noisy again at the sight of the newcomer. Tifa sighed inwardly. "So nice of you to join us today. Do you have a pass?"

The girl didn't even spare a glance in her direction. "No."

Casting a glance towards the almost out of control class and becoming even more frustrated, Tifa decided that she should show some kind of discipline, otherwise they'd walk all over her. "No pass? Detention."

"Whatever."

Tifa frowned. "And I'd like to see you after class as well."

All Tifa received in response was a shrug. She turned back to the class. "Anybody else want to pull another stunt to piss me off?"

Reluctantly, the students returned to the lesson. Tifa mentally wiped away sweat from her brow. Finally, peace.

Yuffie sighed heavily, pulling out her text book and notebook from her knapsack. She turned to Rae. "What page are we on?"

"394." Rae hesitated before asking, "Um, are you okay?"

"I'm--fine," Yuffie answered, turning the pages with so much force they were almost torn from the book. She grit her teeth, trying to will away the pounding in her head.

"If you say so."

She turned a few more pages before turning back to Rae. "Why did you tell me that?"

"Tell you what?"

"You know...about Riku."

Rae shrugged. "Because it's true."

"No, it isn't. I made an ass out of myself yesterday because I listened to you."

"Believe what you want. I heard what I heard."

Yuffie turned back to her text and sighed again, her mind slowly making its way back to the day's earlier events. She had to admit, she could get used to waking up like that every morning. She shook the thought away as quickly as it came. This wasn't the time. She inwardly chuckled. When would it _ever_ be the time to think about him anyway?

After drifting in and out of focus for the remainder of the period, the bell rang. She slowly packed up her things as the class left in a rush. Rae glanced at her and gave a sympathetic shrug. "What'd you do?"

"Nothing...well, nothing that I know of yet."

"And you aren't going to say anything about it?"

Yuffie grabbed her backpack and shrugged. "What's the point? I'm always blamed for stuff I didn't do. You get used to it after a while."

Rae hesitated, about to say something more when Tifa called Yuffie to the front of the room. "See you in detention. We'll have a barrel of laughs today; we're cleaning out toilets."

At the word "toilet", the memory of last night's "tangoeing with the toilet" came to mind. Yuffie thought she was going to be sick again as she felt her knees weaken.

"Yuffie!" Tifa called again, a bit more insistently this time.

Taking in a deep breath, Yuffie muttered, "Gotta go," and gave a small wave. She stopped in front of the large oak desk, awaiting the tongue lashing Tifa was sure to give her.

"Are you okay?"

Yuffie blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Um, I'm fine, thanks."

"You seem tired."

"I didn't get much sleep," she lied. And what a lie it was. Last night she'd gotten the best sleep in her seventeen years, and an even better awakening in the morning.

Tifa nodded. "Perhaps that's part of the problem."

"Problem?" _That doesn't sound good._

"Yeah. Your chemistry grade is...slipping."

"You mean I'm failing?"

"Yes, but it's far too early in the semester to worry too much. This is more of a head's up, you know? If you still have trouble with the formulas during this week's lessons, you might want to find a tutor."

Frankly, chemistry was the last thing on her mind at the moment. "Yeah, sure. Uh, thanks for the warning, I guess."

Tifa gave Yuffie a sympathetic look. "You really should get some more sleep. I'll give you an extra day to finish tonight's assignment."

"Thanks again."

Somehow, the school day became just a bit more bearable for Yuffie after that conversation.

* * *

"Hey Riku." 

The older boy, hunched wearily over the hood of an old Camry, looked back at his friend for the hundredth time. It was nearly five o'clock, he'd been working on this same damn engine for nearly two hours, and Sora kept pestering him. "What?" he asked exasperatedly.

"What do...ah, nevermind."

As he threw down the monkey wrench in his right hand, he decided that he'd had enough. "Dammit, Sora! If you have something to say, can you please say it?"

"Girls like you!" Sora blurted out suddenly.

"Your point?"

"What do you do? I mean, how can you tell if a girl likes you?"

Riku couldn't stifle the chuckle that escaped his lips. "Kairi and Sora, sitting in a tree--"

"Just answer the question," Sora cut him off sternly.

"Ooh, touchy." Riku straightned up and wiped the grease off his hands with a rag. "Look, if she didn't like you, why'd she seem so eager when Yuffie suggested that you shadow her?"

"Well, I dunno..."

"Why'd she let you walk her home?"

"Maybe..."

"If she didn't like you," Riku said seriously, "why would she invite you inside next time you go out to visit her?"

Sora felt the blood to face as his jaw dropped and worked noiselessly. "But--when?--where?--how?"

Riku smirked. "I tailed you a couple of nights ago. You're hopeless."

"Yeah, I guess I am," Sora admitted, looking down at his shoes. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Were you ever this hopeless?"

Riku laughed and ruffled Sora's hair, an action that annoyed the younger boy. "Of course not. I could never stoop down to your level." His thoughts strayed to Yuffie and their last conversation. "Well ok, maybe just a _little_ bit hopeless," he amended, resuming his work on the Toyota.

* * *

_**  
A/N: **Um, yeah.Kind of a "blah" chapter. I'm actually posting anotherchapter right after this one to make up formy unexpected hiatus.Review and stuff. It really does keep me going...albeit slowly, but hey, better than nothing._


	15. Reaction

_**A/N: **All right. Sadly, I honestly have no excuse. I had to rewrite this chapter after it was somehow deleted 4 or so months ago. Plus I've been working on other stories due to an overactive muse. Oh, and the stupid linebreaks in Quick Edit aren't working for some reason, so I apologize._

_**DISCLAIMER: **Wow, haven't done one of these in a bit. Look, I don't own any of the Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, or freaking Disney characters and/or plots. Let's face it. I never have, so it's only right to assume that I never will._

**Life or Something Like It**

**Chapter 15: Reaction**

"For every action there is an equal, and opposite, reaction. Elaborate."

Yuffie stared boredly at her blank sheet of loose leaf paper while tapping her pen impatiently against her text book. She was supposed to be answering the questions on her chemistry worksheet over the weekend, but this silence was driving her up the wall. She and Squall hadn't talked to each other since the "incident", and the defeaning quiet made her want to scream, yell, or something. But pride kept her from confronting Squall about those folders. She didn't want to seem hurt by the fact that he didn't care for her company. She didn't want anymore of his pity. It just irked her that their relationship was strictly professional, yet he made it seem as if they were actually friends. And...

Frustrated, she stopped tapping her pen and threw it across the room. Unfortunately for Squall (or what Yuffie thought to be fortunate), he chose then to poke his head into her room. "Oww!" he cried out, raising his hand to his forehead as the pen bounced off of it. "What was that for?"

Trying to hide her smile, Yuffie replied stonily, "Well, I didn't know you were going to walk in. If I had known, I probably would've thrown it harder."

Ignoring her remark, Squall went on. "I just wanted to tell you that we're going to Aerith and Cloud's for dinner today."

She sat up a little straighter at his response. "The police finished searching the house?"

Squall nodded. "They didn't find anything though. Whoever it was didn't leave any clues."

Yuffie noticed that he hadn't mentioned anything about her moving back in with Cloud and Aerith. For some reason, she felt strangely relieved. "So, what's the occasion for dinner?"

"They're throwing having some party for Cloud's police team. And Cloud's supposedly going to pop the question tonight."

"Wasn't he supposed to do that last week?" Yuffie wondered aloud.

"Hell, he was supposed to ask her last _year_."

"Fine," Yuffie answered, suddenly seeming to lose all interest in their conversation.

He paused for a moment, considering his words. All day it was like he was tiptoeing around land mines whenever he was around Yuffie. One tiny slip could set her off. "Are you okay? You've been rather quiet lately."

"Why would you care?"

Maybe now wasn't the time to get into another argument. "Just wondering," he answered dismissively to avoid confrontation. "Be ready by six-thirty."

"Fine."

As the door closed shut, Yuffie sighed. She supposed that watching Cloud make an ass of himself would be more amusing than trying to communicate with a man who--_clearly_--didn't appreciate her company. This time, she picked up her chemistry book and tossed it away. Somehow, the thud of the text on the floor was much more satisfying than throwing the pen. Of course, it would've been funnier if the book had hit Squall's head instead of the pen, too.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Riku stared out the window of Cid's pick up truck. They were on their way to some dinner party at one of Cid's friend's house. When Cid had told them about the party, Riku and Sora quickly agreed. Anything had to taste better than the crap Cid concocted. Cid was the only person on earth capable of burning a TV dinner. Suddenly, Sora sat up a little straighter in the backseat. "Hey, Kairi lives in this neighborhood!"

Riku glanced at Sora. "How would you know?" he asked.

"Uh...Me and Yuffie helped her find her way home when she got lost in Brooklyn," Sora replied quickly. "The neighborhood just looks familiar, that's all."

"Uh huh." Riku decided not to push the issue any further. Sooner or later Sora would find out that he had tailed him a few nights ago anyway. The only question was a matter of when he would find out. Sora wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box. Riku's gaze returned to the window. They were zipping along a residential street lined with huge two story houses that put their three room apartment above the shop to shame. "Your friends seem well-off," Riku commented to Cid, admiring the mansion-like buildings.

"Well-off? I think the word you're looking for is 'loaded'," Cid replied.

"What do they do, anyway?"

"Cloud's in the police force and Aerith's a nurse. Coupla pussy jobs if you ask me. Here I am doing a real man's work, and I get paid crap."

"You? Work? More like break the child labor laws by making Sora and me work all the time."

"It's good life experience."

Riku stared at his newly adopted guardian. Unlike many other people, Riku got the privilege of choosing his family. Why then, out of the thirty million people in New York, had he chosen _this_ as his parent? What was he thinking? Better question: why hadn't he been thinking properly?

"Don't look at me like that. Let's face it: I'm not getting any younger. I need a coupla punks like you around," said Cid as they pulled up by the house, seeming to read Riku's thoughts. "All right, listen up. Two rules. One: Stay away from the punch and all alcoholic beverages. Two: Call up a cab after the party, I'll be too hungover to drive."

"Sounds good to me," Sora said cheerfully as he dismounted the car.

Riku shook his head and laughed. This was his family: dysfunctional, crude, and mentally disturbed--but he loved it.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Yuffie forced another smile as two more guests knocked at the door. Because she had refused to set the table and was a complete klutz in the kitchen, she'd been assigned to answering the door. Her smile turned into a look combined with horror and surprise as she saw Tifa walk in. "What are you doing here?" she asked incredulously, forgetting her manners.

"I was invited. What are you doing here?"

"Uh, I kind-of-not-really live here. Long story."

The metaphoric light bulb seemed to turn on for Tifa. "So you're the kid that Cloud's been telling me about."

"Yeah, yeah I am. Um, would you mind...uh..."

"Cloud'll never know it was you who blew up the lab," Tifa answered with a smile, reading her expression. "If it makes you feel any better, I burnt a hole the size of Texas in the tile during my first chemistry lab."

"Thanks." Suddenly remembering her manners, Yuffie said, "Oh, let me take your coat." As she took the jacket, Yuffie noticed that Tifa had a companion. He was a tall, dark haired man with dark, deep eyes and a slightly pale complexion. _Oh, and good looking. Veeeeery good looking_, Yuffie noted. Her cheeks hurt like hell from grinning like an idiot all night long, but she decided that his hotness was far greater than the pain of smiling.

_What about Squall?_ a nagging voice whispered in the back of her mind.

_Squall? Squall who?_

Her conscience gave up after realizing that it was no use. Yuffie had gone into hormonal teenage girl mode. "Hi. I'm Yuffie, your hostess for tonight. Can I take your coat?"

The man didn't reply at first. Then he lowered his head to meet Yuffie's eyes and answered, "No, I'm fine." At the sound of his voice, Yuffie swore that her hormones were leaking out of her ears by now. And with that, he stalked away.

"Well, if you need anything else, just ask!" she called after him. Taking a moment to recover, Yuffie muttered, "What got stuck up his ass?"

Tifa laughed. "That's Vincent for you. He doesn't talk much, except when necessary."

Yuffie sighed wistfully. "What a waste of good looks." She made sure to keep a mental radar on Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious.

The doorbell rang again, and Yuffie groaned. This was beginning to get on her nerves. She opened the door with another fake smile that quickly faded when she saw the newcomer. It was Sephiroth, Cloud's boss. "Um. Hello."

Sephiroth merely nodded. "Glad to see you're still in one piece."

"Uh...thanks?" She really didn't know whether to appreciate his concern or wonder why he was expecting to find her dead...or worse.

"Where's Strife?" he asked curtly.

Yuffie suppressed the urge to sigh. _Obviously not one for small talk_. She could already tell that a boring evening lay ahead. _Well, at least the food is good_. "Somewhere around here...do you want me to go get him?"

Sephiroth hesitated, which set off a tiny alarm in Yuffie's head. _Sephiroth doesn't seem like the type to hesitate. Maybe something's wrong...?_ "No, that won't be necessary. Just tell him that I stopped by, and I expect him in the morning."

"Um, okay, no problem. Drive safely. But I guess you already know that since you're a cop and all," Yuffie said uncertainly as she groped for a response.

He raised an eyebrow at her rambling, answered with a brief, "Good evening", and left just as suddenly as he'd come_. Whatever reason he came here, it probably wasn't important enough to talk about now._ As soon as she shut the door, the doorbell rang AGAIN. Not even bothering to smile this time (despite Aerith's wishes), she wrenched open the door and said flatly, "Hello. Please, let me take your coat. And if you need anything, _please hesitate_ to ask."

"Some hostess you are," a familiar voice snorted.

"Riku? Sora?" She noticed a man in his mid fourties standing behind them. "Um...old guy?" she added.

"Old guy!" the "old guy" in question exclaimed indignantly. "Don't you recognize a family friend when you see one?"

"Uh...no." Leaning closer to Riku, she whispered, "Who is this nutjob?"

"Nutjob? I was your parents' best friend. Hell, I even changed your diapers once."

"More like made me change them instead," Aerith said, walking up to the front door as she heard the commotion. "Nice to see you, Cid."

"Uh, sorry about the nutjob comment," Yuffie apologized. "I don't remember much of my childhood."

"Nutjob..." Cid muttered as he moved inside towards--what else?--the liquor table. Yuffie turned to Riku and Sora. "_He's_ your guardian?"

"Hey, you don't see us making fun of _your_ family," Sora protested.

Yuffie's heart sank a little at his words. They were two separate families now. Things had changed, and still Yuffie was trying to decide if it was for the best. "Come in. Thank God you guys are here. All these old people are starting to scare me."

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"Come on, just tell me what's in there!" Sora persisted to the man who sat on his right.

"Apple juice," the stoic man known as Auron replied patiently.

"Really." Sora looked up at the man. One of his eyes was scarred and had a patch over it. He wore sunglasses, although it was night time, and carried a jug of...well, that was exactly what Sora was trying to find out. The man just screamed mysterious. And the unknown contents of the jug just added to the mystery. "Come on, I'm not stupid. What the hell's in there?"

Riku rolled his eyes. He was surprised that the man hadn't smacked Sora upside the head by now, or murdered him. And judging by Auron's looks, the man was more than capable of doing so. Riku turned to face Yuffie, who sat rather silently across from him. "Yuffie? You okay?"

The uncharacteristically quiet teen looked up from her plate of hardly touched food. "Yeah, just thinking." More like trying not to think about Squall, which ended up in her thinking about him and how mad she was at him, then back to why she was thinking about him when she'd vowed not to, and the chain started all over again. The man to her left hadn't said more than a handful of words to her for three days (and she also vaguely wondered why she was keeping count). And he had the _nerve_ to ask her to pass the rolls. She'd ignored him, like any red-blooded teenager of the female kind would. Squall had frowned slightly at her reaction, then returned to his conversation with Cloud.

"That's a lie if I ever heard one," Riku remarked. "You never think."

Yuffie smiled briefly before letting the smile drop. "Not really hungry."

Riku frowned. It was almost as if they had traded places overnight. Now he was playing the role of the overtalkative friend, and Yuffie the distant friend. Whatever had happened between the last time they saw each other and now couldn't have been good. When he saw Squall ask for the rolls and Yuffie ignore him, Riku put two and two together. Were the two were in some sort of fight? His questions were confirmed when Yuffie quietly excused herself from the table. Squall looked up questioningly at her sudden leave, but didn't say anything. Pushing back his chair, Riku muttered, "Be right back," to Sora, who was still trying to figure out what was in Auron's jug.

He followed the sound of the door slamming to the front yard, where he found Yuffie running down the driveway to sit on the curb. "Hey," he said softly, stopping about seven feet behind her.

"Hey."

"What'd you run out for?"

"I was completely bored out of my mind," she replied half-heartedly.

He nodded and accepted the answer, although he could tell that she wasn't being completely honest. "Oh, I forgot to thank you."

"Thank me?"

"The day you were arrested, the police came and stormed the orphanage. We got out using that escape plan you made when we were kids."

"You mean that old plan I came up with after my first week at the orphanage? I can't believe you still remembered it. I almost forgot about it. Never thought we'd even get the chance to get out of there."

"Yeah. It saved our lives. Thanks."

Yuffie laughed. "I remember when I thought of it. It was after we dropped that water balloon on Ansem." Ansem. She couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down her spine. She hadn't forgotten that Ansem could be plotting to bust out of jail and hunt her down. Oh no, her dreams made sure of that. Instead of dreaming of the yellow Heartless eyes, she dreamt about the evil glint in Ansem's golden eyes as he advanced on her stealthily...

"You look tired," Riku observed.

"Gee, thanks."

"No, I mean it. Haven't you been sleeping for the past week?"

Yuffie shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. I've been having dreams, that's all."

"It's...a really long story."

"I've got time," Riku replied, sitting beside her on the curb. "This party isn't showing any signs of stopping anytime soon."

"It's kind of stupid..."

"You and that Seymour--"

"Squall." She really didn't mean to correct him; it was a reflex.

"--dude in a fight or something?"

"How'd you--?"

"Anyone with eyes can see that."

Yuffie glanced at Riku. "Well, I guess."

"How do you 'guess' that you're in a fight?"

"It's complicated, okay?"

"You like him."

That caught her off-guard. Did she like him? He was undeniably attractive, yes. He seemed to understand her in a way no one else--even her two best friends--could. But..._like_ him? After how he'd been treating her for the past few days? "W-what?" she stuttered, trying to piece her fragmented thoughts together.

Riku shook his head and smirked. "I'm not Sora, remember? I catch onto things more quickly." Yuffie stuck out her tongue at him in response. "And I don't hear you denying anything," he pointed out.

"Because I think we both know the answer to that."

"So you do."

"No, I don't," she denied.

"Suuure."

Yuffie fell silent again.

"Hey, don't go quiet on me now," Riku protested.

"I'd rather not talk about it anymore," Yuffie said finally after a pause.

"Hey guys!" Sora yelled from the front door. "Come back inside. Someone's gonna pop the question and we're supposed to be there."

Yuffie grinned. "Cloud finally grew some balls!" Inwardly, she thanked Sora and his horrible timing. She really didn't want to talk about Squall anymore. Taking Riku by the hand, she led her friend back into the house.

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_A murderer holding hostages in a bank? Easy._

_Trying to detonate a bomb before it goes ka-boom? Piece of cake._

_Leaping into the middle of a gang fight and coming out alive? All in a day's work._

_Proposing to the girl you've loved for ten years? ...I'll have to get back to you on that one._

Cloud sighed. There was no getting around it. It was impossible. Cloud wasn't a very...eloquent man. He was a pretty much all action, hands on kinda guy. He'd wanted to propose for so long, but every time he tried, his tongue just wouldn't form the words he needed to say.

"Jesus Christ, Strife, you're not going to the electric chair."

Cloud looked up at Auron. "I know, I know."

"So what the hell's your problem?" Vincent spoke up.

Cloud was a little shocked. Vincent had never said so many words to him in one sentence before. "That's just it, I don't know."

"Well, you better find out fast," Squall said dryly, leaning against the wall. "Here she comes."

"I can't do this."

"Fine," Cid slurred drunkenly, making his way over to the group. "Pretend I'm Aerith."

Cloud stared. "What are you on?" He noticed the beer bottle clutched in Cid's left hand. "Nevermind."

Cid stumbled over to Cloud and sat on his lap. To Cloud's horror and disgust, Cid wiggled around, trying to make himself comfortable. "Now pruhh-pooose to me."

"Get the hell off me!" Cloud looked frantically to the others for help. Squall (as usual) was smirking in amusement, Vincent seemed to be off in his own world and distinterested, and Auron...well, he could never tell what Auron was thinking. His dark sunglasses hid his expression.

"Make looooove to me, Cloudy."

Aerith walked up to them with a smile. "Hi guys." She froze and stared...and blinked...and stared. "...oh...my."

"This isn't what it looks like!" Cloud protested feebly. He made a mental note to remind the mechanic to go on a diet as he struggled to shove the man off his lap.

"So that _isn't_ a drunken Cid you have on your lap?" Vincent quipped.

Cloud glared at him. He knew there was a reason why Vincent was better off being a mute. "Well, it _is_ but...but..."

And once again, his tongue failed to form the words he needed to say.

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"So? Where's the bride and groom-to-be?" Yuffie asked Tifa eagerly.

"Well, we have a slight probelm."

"What?" Riku asked.

"Your guardian."

"Cid? What'd he do?"

As soon as the words came out of Riku's mouth, Sora came bounding over. "Riku, you've gotta help me! Cid drank too much and he's giving Cloud a lap dance!"

Riku blinked, then shuddered at the mental image. "I guess that means that the party's over," he announced, standing up. "Looks like we'd better call that cab."

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Cloud wasn't sad to see Cid go. Not at all, he realized as he sat, head hung, on a chair in a forlorn corner of the living room. He couldn't remember feeling like such an idiot. Well of course, there was that time with the dress and the makeup...but that was beside the point. Not only was he embarrassed beyond all reason and scarred for life, he'd lost the engagement ring he'd been working overtime to purchase. He sighed heavily. Aerith was probably expecting him to propose tonight. Hell, he was sure she'd been expecting it for months now. Finally, he'd gotten enough cash to pay for a ring, and he went and lost the damned thing.

He turned when he felt a hand pat his shoulder. "Hey, don't beat yourself up."

Cloud sighed again. "Squall, she's been waiting for this for months. So have I."

"She's patient. She'll understand."

"So what do I do?" Cloud prompted. "Propose to her without a ring?"

"I really don't think she cares about the ring." Squall looked over his shoulder and saw Aerith ushering the guests outside. "Just go talk to her. She'll understand," he repeated. "Go. Now. I'll see you and Aerith tomorrow, and hopefully with engagement rings."

"Fine."

"By the way, have you seen Yuffie?"

Cloud frowned. "Actually, no. Haven't seen her since dinner."

Squall nodded and strode away to clear out the remaining guests. Moments later, almost like clockwork, Aerith approached him, toying with a small box in her hands. "Are you okay?"

"I've been better. Thank God it's not everyday Cid thinks he's a stripper."

Aerith stifled the chuckle that threatened to escape. She didn't want to agitate him anymore. "Cloud, there's something I need to ask you," she said seriously.

A panicked look crossed his face. "Look, I swear I was going to propo--" He stopped short when he saw Aerith crouch down in front of him on one knee. What the...?

She was obviously amused at his expression. She could barely keep a straight face long enough to ask, "Cloud, will you marry me?"

Several emotions went through his mind. Happiness, confusion, surprise, pain from a badly-injured-male-ego, followed by more overwhelming happiness and shock. God, he felt like such a woman. No wonder why they all burst into tears after being proposed to. A sudden surge of emotion brought upon them at the least expected moment...he was beginning to get a little teary eyed himself. Although he'd never admit it, of course. "..."

"Please answer," Aerith urged awkwardly. "No wonder why the men usually do the asking. I don't know what woman can stand the pressure."

"Yes, God yes." Cloud pulled the Flower Girl--officially _his_ Flower Girl--into his arms and kissed her.

Squall threw a glance over his shoulder at the couple in the corner. "Well, it's obvious who wears the pants in this relationship," he commented. He mock-saluted Cloud and slipped out the front door. Cloud decided to let that one slide...for now.

A retching sound could be heard outside, followed by the nauseating sound of vomit splashing onto the ground. "Um, somebody lose an engagement ring?" Sora asked meekly as Cid purged all over the lawn.

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TBC

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_**A/N:** Whoooooops. That soooo wasn't meant to happen. I just couldn't help but add in the Clorith fluff. I bet you all are asking the million dollar question: Where's the Squffie? Poor Yuffie and Squall aren't getting any action here, I apologize. Next chapter is all them. And I also apologize for the Yuffie/Vincent moment, it was pretty pointless. I've become recently addicted to the pairing._


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